Bosch Automotive A product history

Bosch Automotive 

A product history 

Journal of Bosch History 

Supplement 2

2 | Supplement 2 | Journal of Bosch History 

Foreword 

Title illustration: 

Bosch and automotive 

technology are inseparably 

linked. The title 

illustration from 1955 

shows Bosch testing 

equipment at work, 

checking the ignition 

system of an Opel 

Olympia Rekord. 

The magneto ignition device for motorized carriages that was first delivered 

to a customer in 1898 marks our first major milestone as an automotive 

supplier. There were numerous other important milestones on our way to 

becoming a global automotive supplier with a wide range of automotive 

systems, components, and services. Examples include the diesel injection 

pump, the Jetronic electronic gasoline-injection system, the ABS antilock 

braking system, the ESP® electronic stability program, and common rail. 

Today, our products help a lot to cut fuel consumption and emissions, and 

to make driving safer and more comfortable. Bosch technology can be found 

in virtually every vehicle on the road, whether helping to stabilize vehicle 

dynamics in critical situations, automatically maintaining a safe distance 

from the vehicle in front, finding the most economical way to reach a destination, 

or improving visibility at night. 

With his finely honed entrepreneurial instinct, Robert Bosch was quick to 

latch on to good ideas. He then used his technical flair and commercial 

expertise to turn them into high-quality products that represented excellent 

value for money. The principles that he formulated and lived by still shape 

our company, our values, and our actions today. They help us turn challenges 

into opportunities. Examples in automotive engineering include recognizing 

the potential for growth in Asia, realizing the potential of the electric car, 

supporting the associated emergence of new concepts of mobility, as well 

as participating in the trend toward smaller vehicles. 

Although Bosch is now a technology and services company that is active in 

many other areas, our automotive business sector has always been at the 

heart of what we do. No other business sector can look back on such a long 

or multifaceted history. The purpose of this brochure is to relate this history, 

and I hope it makes for interesting reading. 

Best regards 

Bernd Bohr 

Member of the Board of Management 

and Chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group

Bosch Automotive | 3 

Contents 

4 We have ignition! Bosch becomes 

an automotive supplier 

6 Spark emitter and trademark 

Bosch magneto ignition 

14 “Safe night-time driving at last!” 

Bosch automotive lighting systems 

20 Well equipped, whatever the 

weather 

Equipment for day-to-day driving 

28 Bosch engine management – not 

just for smooth operation 

30 From heavy-oil pumps to piezo 

injectors 

Bosch diesel injection systems 

38 Not just a matter of horsepower 

Bosch gasoline injection systems 

46 A future for electric vehicles 

Alternative drive systems from Bosch 

50 Drives like a dream – safety, 

guidance, and comfort 

52 Past every obstacle 

Braking and chassis systems 

made by Bosch 

58 The sensitive car 

Driver assistance systems 

made by Bosch 

64 Entertainment combined with 

traffic and road information 

Car multimedia 

70 “Safe, clean, economical” 

as a development goal 

72 Safe, clean, economical 

The Bosch 3S program 

76 What’s what? 

Glossary of automotive 

components 

Left: 

A car with no Bosch 

parts? As this advertising 

poster from 1998 indicates, 

only toy cars fulfill 

this criterion. 

Right: 

A car with Bosch parts. 

With X-ray vision, you 

would see the multitude 

of Bosch electrical, 

electronic, and mechanical 

components in a car.


We have ignition! 

Bosch becomes an 

automotive supplier 

In the company’s early days, the 

directors still performed tests 

themselves. From left to right: 

Gustav Klein, head of sales; 

Gottlob Honold, head of development; 

Ernst Ulmer, head of commercial affairs; 

and Arnold Zähringer, technical director

Bosch Automotive | 5


Spark emitter and trademark 

Bosch magneto ignition 

The origins of Bosch as a supplier of automotive equipment go back to 1887. 

This was the year in which, on behalf of a customer, the 25-year-old electrician 

and precision mechanic Robert Bosch built a product that was later to play an 

important role in the automobile – a magneto ignition device for a stationary 

engine. In 1897, Bosch installed one of these devices in a motorized three-wheeler 

to see whether it was suitable for everyday use in motor vehicles. This unwieldy 

apparatus became a key product of the company. It turned Bosch into an automotive 

supplier both inside and outside Germany. Ignition systems have undergone 

further development since then, and are now integrated into complex engine 

management systems. But one thing has remained the same. Even today, an electric 

spark ignites the air-fuel mixture and keeps gasoline engines running. 

The high-voltage 

magneto ignition 

system with spark 

plug was suitable 

for universal use and 

made Bosch highly 

successful virtually 

overnight. 

Magneto ignition is based on a double-T 

armature around which a wire coil has been 

wound. It moves in a magnetic field, thus 

generating a current. Robert Bosch was 

by no means the inventor of this principle. 

As early as 1866, Werner von Siemens used 

it in his dynamo-electric machine. And in 

1876, building on this basis, Nicolaus 

August Otto developed the break-spark 

ignition device. He needed this to generate 

ignition sparks in his four-stroke engines. 

Nine years later, at the request of a customer, 

Robert Bosch first built a magneto 

ignition device for a stationary engine. 

When testing the device, however, he found 

that it was not really suitable for everyday


use. So he set about making improvements, 

for example by using more robust U-shaped 

magnets (also called horseshoe magnets). 

Further orders followed, and some five 

years later magneto ignition devices already 

accounted for roughly half the young company’s 

sales. 

Magneto ignition in the car 

In automobile manufacturing, which in 

those days was still in its infancy, ignition 

was proving to be the “trickiest problem” 

facing automakers – as automotive pioneer 

Carl Benz observed. The naked flame in 

Gottlieb Daimler’s glow-tube ignition system 

constituted a constant fire hazard, 

while safe battery-powered ignition systems 

restricted the range of cars to a few dozen 

kilometers, since the battery soon needed 

recharging and the system did not have a 

generator to accomplish this task while 

driving. 

In 1897, Robert Bosch installed one of 

his magneto ignition devices in a vehicle 

engine. This was something completely 

new. His customer was the English engineer 

Frederick Simms, a member of Daimler’s 

supervisory board. He asked Bosch to 

install a magneto ignition device in a De 

Dion-Bouton three-wheeler. Robert Bosch 

found that, in the design that had existed 

The flaring spark plug, 

designed by Lucian 

Bernhard in 1912, was 

the most enduring motif 

in Bosch advertising. It 

appeared on spark-plug 

packaging until the 

1970s.


The Daimler Phoenix 

truck was the first motor 

vehicle to be equipped 

with a Bosch magneto 

ignition device as standard 

equipment. 

hitherto, the magneto ignition device was 

unsuitable for such an engine. The device 

itself was capable of delivering a maximum 

of 200 sparks per minute, yet the small 

De Dion-Bouton engine ran at a maximum 

speed of 1,800 rpm and thus required 

900 ignition sparks per minute. 

The solution for high-speed engines 

Arnold Zähringer, Bosch’s factory manager, 

came up with the solution. Instead of moving 

the ponderous armature itself through 

the magnetic field, he left this job to a lightweight 

metal sleeve which he laid around 

the armature. Zähringer’s invention was 

patented for Bosch. The innovative ignition 

device had in theory solved a major problem 

for the young automotive industry – 

ignition in high-speed internal-combustion 

engines in vehicles. However, the complicated 

break-spark rodding needed to create 

the ignition spark in the combustion chamber 

remained a weakness in its design. 

This rodding had to be redesigned for every 

engine. It also required considerable maintenance 

and was prone to breakdown. 

High voltage and spark plugs 

In the summer of 1901, therefore, Robert 

Bosch gave his colleague Gottlob Honold 

the brief of designing a magneto ignition 

system without break-spark rodding. After 

just a few months, Honold presented his 

high-voltage magneto ignition system, 

based on what was known as electric arc 

ignition. By means of two coils on the 

armature, it generated a high-voltage current. 

This was conducted to a spark plug 

via a simple cable connection. The highvoltage 

current jumped the gap between 

its electrodes in the form of a spark.


A spark plug design with fixed electrodes 

had been around since about 1860. Carl 

Benz, for example, already used spark 

plugs for gasoline engines, but with little 

success. The materials used for both the 

insulation and the electrodes proved unsuitable. 

Honold developed a better ceramic 

for the insulating body and a heat-resisting 

alloy for the electrodes. This brought magneto 

ignition up to a technological standard 

that guaranteed it success. 

The spark plug itself was in fact only a 

by-product that Bosch had to manufacture 

in order to be able to offer a complete 

system. Events took an interesting turn, 

though. While magneto ignition has long 

since disappeared, Bosch still manufactures 

spark plugs – more than 300 million each 

year. 

Magneto ignition became established in 

automobiles even before the first world 

war. Thanks to modern manufacturing 

methods, such as assembly-line production 

from 1925 on, millions of these systems 

were manufactured to a high quality standard. 

Nonetheless, the automotive industry 

began to call for less expensive ignition 

systems. After all, around 1930, a magneto 

ignition for a mid-size automobile cost 

roughly 200 reichsmarks – twice the salary 

of a Bosch worker, and a tenth of the cost 

of a small car. 

Spectacular application: the very first Zeppelin 

LZ1 airship in 1900 was equipped with a magneto 

ignition device from Bosch. It was the most 

reliable ignition device available, and did not pose 

a fire risk, unlike other systems.


Bottom: 

Camille Jenatzy driving 

a Mercedes in the 1903 

Gordon Bennett Race 

in Ireland. Jenatzy won 

the race using a Bosch 

ignition system, establishing 

its reputation for 

especially high quality. 

Battery ignition offers a less 

expensive solution 

This cost issue was why Bosch started 

refining battery ignition, which was a less 

expensive solution, as from 1920. Although 

ignition systems that worked with a current 

from batteries existed prior to 1900, the 

batteries of the time had little storage 

capacity and could not be recharged while 

the car was on the move. This ignition 

system was thus impracticable for everyday 

use. Magneto ignition systems, by contrast, 

worked independently of any source of 

current. They generated their voltage with 

the help of kinetic energy from the engine 

with which they were connected. 

As from 1910, however, it became technically 

feasible to produce a battery ignition 

system that was suitable for everyday 

use. The electricity that was used up by 

ignition could be replaced by the generator 

(which Bosch began manufacturing 

in 1913) while the car was on the move. 

This allowed Bosch to meet customers’ 

demands for cost-effective solutions. At 

first, the company mainly supplied battery 

ignition systems – comprising ignition coil, 

ignition distributor, spark plugs, and 

cables – for small and standard-sized cars. 

The ignition coil generated high-voltage 

current, and the distributor transferred this 

Milestones 

1887 1897 1902 1908 1910 1921 

Low-voltage 

magneto ignition for 

stationary engines 

Low-voltage 


for motor vehicle 

engines 

High-voltage 


system with spark 

plug 

Buzz ignition coil Ignition distributor Magneto-generator 

ignition unit


ignition energy via a cable to the spark 

plugs, whose electrodes produced the 

ignition spark. Electricity was supplied 

by the existing on-board network, with 

its generator and battery. One of the first 

cars to be equipped with this system as 

a standard feature was a four-cylinder 

passenger car made by the Berlin-based 

carmaker NAG (Nationale Automobil- 

Gesellschaft). 

Battery ignition takes hold 

At first, expensive sedans made by Horch 

or Maybach continued to feature magneto 

ignition systems, since the price of the 

ignition system was not so important in 

cars of this price category. By the middle 

of the 1930s, however, battery ignition 

had also finally established itself in this 

area. Indeed, as early as 1930, 36 out 

of 55 German car models had battery ignition. 

It was only in aviation that magneto 

ignition kept its prime role. Its independence 

of any source of current was the main 

argument in favor of this ignition system. 

Magneto ignition remained dominant until 

the end of the heyday of piston-driven 

aero-engines in the 1960s. It was not 

needed for jet engines. 

Bottom left: 

Internationally, Bosch 

ignition systems soon 

found favor with vehicle 

manufacturers, including 

Indian, the legendary U.S. 

maker of motorcycles 

(1921). 

Bottom right: 

The “Red Devil,” a stylized 

figure based on the 

racing driver Camille 

Jenatzy, was also used 

in advertisements linked 

with specific makes, in 

this case Ford (1917). 

1925 1926 1932 1932 1964 

Battery ignition Dynamo-battery 

ignition unit 

Combined generator, 

starter, and ignition 

unit 

Flywheel-triggered 

magneto-generator 

ignition unit 

Breaker-triggered 

TI transistorized 

ignition 

1965 

Breaker-triggered 

high-voltage CDI 

capacitor-discharge 

ignition


New ignition systems 

Automotive ignition systems also continued 

to evolve. In the 1950s, the automobile 

business began to use semiconductor 

devices – the predecessors of today’s 

electronic components – as standard 

equipment. In 1958, Bosch had installed 

its first electronic device in a product – a 

Variode regulator for a generator. Then, in 

1964, ignition followed the trend – with 

transistors that allowed maintenance-free 

ignition. The main aim in all this was to 

make the periods between service stops 

longer and, in the long term, to have cars 

that could be driven 100,000 km without 

the need for a major service – with the 

exception of such indispensable things as 

oil changes, of course. The ball was now 

rolling, and the changing of ignition contacts 

was a thing of the past. At the same 

time, the foundation stone had been laid 

for the development of today’s electronic 

ignition systems, which are not only maintenance-free, 

but whose precise management 

allows compliance with the strictest 

emissions standards and a significant 

reduction in fuel consumption. 

Transistorized ignition was the first step 

in this direction, and was followed by a 

variant in which the mechanical contact 

was replaced by an electronic pulse generator, 

known as the Hall generator. From 

then on, there was no need for the ignition 

distributor contact, which was prone to 

wear. Today, the high voltage is commonly 

generated by individual coils, which transmit 

power directly to the spark plugs. But 

in all this, one thing has remained unchanged. 

Even today, no gasoline engine 

will run without the ignition spark that 

Bosch brought into the car. 

1974 1979 1982 1983 1987 1989 

Maintenance-free, 

breakerless TI-i 

transistorized 

ignition 

Motronic 

(combination of 

L-Jetronic gasoline 

injection and 

electronic ignition) 

Electronic mapcontrolled 

ignition 

Electronic ignition 

with knock control 

Electronic ignition 

with adaptive knock 

control 

Motronic with 16-bit 

microprocessor


Far left: 

The Junkers W 33 flown by Hünefeld, Köhl, 

and Fitzmaurice in the first East-West 

crossing of the Atlantic was equipped with 

the Bosch magneto ignition system (1928). 

Left: 

The Bosch spares kit with replacement 

spark plugs and ignition contacts was 

popular with all truck drivers (1955). 

Bosch ignition systems 

The beginnings 

The principle of magneto ignition has been around since 1866. It was 

initially designed for stationary engines. Bosch first manufactured its own 

magneto ignition device in 1887. First use in the automobile in 1897. 

Development history 

Reliable, with a long service life, and suitable for universal use in all 

common engines, it was the standard automotive ignition system until 

c 1930. From 1925 on, it was displaced by more cost-efficient, batterybased 

systems. Today, battery ignition is still the basis for all automotive 

ignition systems. 

How it works 

The air-fuel mixture is ignited in the combustion chamber. The ignition spark 

was initially triggered by a break in an electric circuit, and then by a luminous 

spark discharge between two spark-plug electrodes under high voltage. 

First use 

Used on stationary engines from 1887, on a trial basis in a De Dion-Bouton 

three-wheeler in September 1897, and in small-series production for Daimler 

trucks (Phoenix) from 1898. 

The present day 

Today, ignition systems made by Bosch are an integral part of electronic 

engine management systems for gasoline engines. Called “Motronic,” these 

systems regulate injection and ignition by means of a single central control 

unit. This business unit is now part of the Gasoline Systems (GS) division. 

1989 1996 1998 2001 2004 2007 

Static high-voltage Motronic in micro- 

Rod coil 

Mini Compact 

distribution 

hybrid design 

rod coil 

Cylinder-head 

module with complete 

integrated 

ignition 

Power Mini Compact 

rod coil


“Safe night-time driving at last!” 


Picture with the Bosch 

searchlight, used for 

advertising purposes 

(1925)


Up until 1913, Bosch manufactured practically nothing but ignition devices 

or systems. This focus on a single product was a very risky business strategy. 

At the same time, the automotive market was changing – the vehicles on the 

road were no longer simply luxury vehicles and sports cars, but also articles of 

everyday use. Robert Bosch recognized that the prospects for electrical automotive 

lighting were good. Development work started in 1910, and the Bosch 

automotive lighting system was ready for series production in 1913. The system 

comprised headlights, a generator, a battery, and a regulator. This lighting 

system paved the way for Bosch as a universal automotive supplier and formed 

the basis for today’s vehicle electrical systems. 

In 1912, the only products Bosch manufactured 

were magneto ignition systems, 

spark plugs, and Bosch oilers. By that time, 

the company’s workforce already exceeded 

four thousand, and global sales were in the 

region of 33 million German marks. More 

than 83 percent of sales were generated 

outside Germany, a figure that rose to 88 

percent just one year later. However, Robert 

Bosch was aware that such a narrow product 

base was not a healthy situation for a 

company of this size. Focusing solely on the 

main sales driver – magneto ignition systems 

– made the future unpredictable. If 

the automotive industry switched to diesel 

or electric drives, for example, magneto 

ignition systems would no longer be needed. 

An urgent task 

There were many good reasons to push 

ahead with the development of electrical 

automotive lighting for series production. 

First, motor vehicles were also widely used 

for commercial purposes after around 1910 

and needed to be available at any time, 

day or night. Second, electrical lighting 

was already standard equipment in the 

U.S. – the world’s largest automotive market. 

Third, regulations such as the requirement 

in Germany to equip all motor vehicles 

with two headlights from 1909 and similar 

laws in neighboring countries created the 

basis for a rapid spread of this technology 

in Europe as well. And fourth, the carbide 

and acetyl lighting common at the time was 

Top from left to right: 

Milestones of an evolution. 

Bosch headlights 

on a fire truck (1919), 

on a Horch (1924), and 

on an Opel Olympia 

Rekord (1957)


The Bosch automotive lighting system 

comprised headlights, generator, battery, 

and regulator. It formed the basis for 

today’s vehicle electrical systems. 

not really suitable for everyday use. Its light 

output was far inferior to electrical lighting. 

What’s more, the driver had to use a complicated 

procedure to ignite and extinguish 

the light. 

Bosch as a systems supplier 

Electrical lighting needed a current, but 

this was something a battery could only 

supply for a limited period of time. Robert 

Bosch’s idea was to use a generator to 

produce sufficient energy to provide a constant 

supply to the battery, where it was 

stored and transmitted to the headlights. 

The heart of the system was thus the generator 

for providing electric current. In the 

form of the alternator, this is still the basis 

of today’s vehicle electrical systems. Bosch 

produced the headlights, generator, and 

regulator (then known as a “regulator 

box”) in-house. At first, the battery was 

purchased from other manufacturers, but 

a switch was made to in-house production 

in 1922. The launch of the Bosch automotive 

lighting system was a milestone for Bosch. 

In the past, Bosch had offered individual 

components such as magneto ignition 

devices. The Bosch automotive lighting 

system, by contrast, was an all-in-one system 

that saved customers the irksome task 

of piecing together the parts they needed. 

Instead, they now got all they needed from 

a single source, and could be sure that all 

the parts were perfectly matched. It is 

Milestones 

1913 1930 1935 1935 1939 1952 

Bosch automotive 

lighting system, 

comprising headlights, 

a generator, 

and a regulator 

Fog lights 

Long-range 

headlights 

Fitted headlights Headlight aiming 

device 

Quartz vapor-coated 

headlight reflector


evidence of considerable foresight that 

this idea of producing systems – a concept 

essential to Bosch as an automotive supplier 

today – was already mapped out in 

1913. 

Completion of the range, innovations 

After 1921, Bosch added products specifically 

for motorcycles to what was now an 

extremely successful range. From 1923, 

even bicycles were catered for. These 

products were followed in the 1930s by 

further special applications such as fog 

lights, long-range headlights, tail lights, 

and brake lights. Bosch became the world’s 

leading manufacturer of vehicle lighting, 

introducing new developments that we take 

for granted today. Examples included lowbeam 

headlights, which illuminated the 

road ahead without blinding oncoming 

traffic; fitted headlights that were perfectly 

integrated in the front of the car, both 

visually and aerodynamically; asymmetrical 

lighting, which illuminated the driver’s side 

of the road more than the other side and 

thus reduced glare for oncoming traffic; 

halogen lights with a 50 percent higher 

light output than double-filament lamps; 

and finally Litronic for gaseous-discharge 

lamps, an electronically controlled system 

with increased light output, reduced energy 

consumption, and a longer service life. 

Left to right: 

Brochures for the 

Bosch automotive 

lighting system, with 

the advertising motifs 

designed by the Stuttgartbased 

artist Lucian 

Bernhard, underscore 

the early significance 

of business outside 

Germany for Bosch. 

1957 1957 1966 1971 1986 1991 

Low- and high-beam Headlights for 

headlights, sidemarker 

lights, parking low-beam light 

asymmetrical 

lights, and turn 

signals in one unit 

Headlights with H1 

halogen light 

Headlights with H4 

two-filament bulb 

Polyellipsoid 

headlights 

Litronic headlight 

system with gaseousdischarge 

lamp


Top: 

Extensive tests in 

the light channel 

also helped Bosch to 

improve light output 

(1930). 

End of a long era 

In 1999, the Bosch Lighting Technology 

division was transferred to Automotive 

Lighting GmbH, a joint venture with the 

Italian company Magneti Marelli S.p.A. 

Bosch gradually scaled down its interest 

in this joint venture and was no longer 

involved at all by 2003. So what remains 

of the Bosch automotive lighting system 

introduced in 1913? The generator for one. 

Now in the form of an alternator, it is an 

integral part of the vehicle electrical system 

and is essential for the operation of electrical 

consumers ranging from airbag control 

to ignition systems. This is not all. Other 

Bosch products still ensure good visibility 

to this day. The infrared technology of the 

“Night Vision” driver assistance system, for 

example, enables drivers to see obstacles 

sooner than they would with conventional 

lights at night. 

1993 1995 1996 1998 

Headlights with 

homogeneous 

reflector surface 

Headlights with 

variable light 

distribution 

Dynamic headlight 

leveling control 

Bi-Litronic for 

low- and high-beam 

headlights




The Bosch automotive lighting system, comprising headlights, a generator, 

a regulator, and a battery. Marketed from 1913 on. It replaced the carbide 

and acetyl lighting that was commonly used up to that time, which required 

considerable maintenance and had a relatively weak output. 


For everyday use, motor vehicles need reliable lighting. The electrical system 

developed by Bosch quickly became the most favored solution. To make 

vehicles more visible at night and in adverse weather conditions, Bosch 

developed tail lights, position lights, fog lights, and later even tailor-made 

lighting systems for all common vehicle models. 

How it works 

A filament bulb in a reflector housing illuminates the road, drawing its current 

from a battery. The battery is fed by a generator that receives dynamoelectric 

power when the crankshaft of the running engine turns. A regulator 

ensures an even supply of power to the battery. 

First use 

Developed from 1910 on; first use in production automobiles in 1913 and 

for motorcycles from 1921 on; bicycle lights from 1923 on. 

Bottom left: 

Around 1950, integrated 

headlights were a sign 

of modernity. The 

Volkswagen Beetle shown 

here has all its status 

symbols at the front: 

fog lights and two supertone 

horns, all made by 

Bosch. 

Bottom right: 

The “Litronic” lighting 

system with gaseousdischarge 

lamps was 

available in the BMW 7 

Series from 1991. Twoand-a-half 

times brighter 

than halogen light, and 

with a light color similar 

to daylight, it improved 

road safety by ensuring 

better illumination. 


Generators are now called alternators and are produced in their millions 

at a number of plants. Today, this product area belongs to the Bosch Starter 

Motors and Generators division (SG). The Bosch Lighting Technology division, 

which produced headlights and lamps, was gradually spun off between 

2001 and 2003.


Well equipped, whatever the weather 

Equipment for day-to-day driving


In 1900, Robert Bosch had a range of twelve different products for motor 

vehicles – all of them variants of the magneto ignition device. One hundred 

years later, this number had risen to more than 355,000 product variants. This 

diversity is a response to the increasing variety of different vehicle models, as 

well as to how customers expect modern vehicles to be equipped. Magneto 

ignition was the first step on the company’s path to becoming an automotive 

supplier. However, it was not until 1913 and the Bosch automotive lighting system 

that a battery and a generator guaranteed a reliable supply of electricity. 

This was the basis for an on-board electrical system to which numerous other 

components – such as a starter, horn, windshield wipers, direction indicators, 

and a car heating system – could be connected. 

After laying the foundation with magneto 

ignition and the Bosch automotive lighting 

system, Bosch went on to expand its expertise 

as an automotive supplier step by step. 

One particular example of this process is 

the electric starter, which became rapidly 

widespread in the U.S. after 1910, even 

being fitted as standard equipment in 

some cars. The starter with an overrunning 

clutch made by the U.S. manufacturer 

Rushmore was a very promising concept. 

Bosch bought the company, together with 

all rights to manufacture these starters, 

in 1914. It was determined to turn the 

impressive idea into a high-quality, reasonably 

priced product that could be produced 

in large volumes. Bosch subsequently also 

used other starter designs, but in the beginning 

its sole objective was to find the fastest 

way of entering this area of business. 

Electric starters made life considerably 

easier for motorists. Firstly, drivers were 

spared the strenuous task of cranking up 

the car. Secondly, after 1900 there was a 

significant rise in the number of people who 

wanted to drive their own car, but were not 

prepared to crank up the car themselves. 

Thirdly, when cranking up the car, there 

was a risk that the starter crank could fly 

back in the opposite direction. This was 

known as “crank kickback” and led to 

numerous fatal accidents. The electric 

starter, on the other hand, was initially 

activated at the press of a pedal and later 

at the touch of a button. This made it an 

innovation with a real future. 

Left: 

With this Mercedes 170, 

engineers tested automotive 

lighting, signaling 

equipment such as turn 

signals and direction 

indicators, and electric 

horns (1954).


Motorization fuels demand 

The starter has the features typical of 

many products brought to market by Bosch 

in the period between the first world war 

and the first crisis in the automobile industry 

in 1926. Their aim was to eliminate the 

shortcomings in operation and safety that 

were coming to light as motorization really 

took hold. Wherever these shortcomings 

became apparent, Robert Bosch looked for 

new ideas that he then optimized, or inventions 

were made in-house that were then 

developed until they were ready for series 

production. The manually operated rubber 

wiper, developed by Prince Heinrich of 

Prussia, became the electric windshield 

wiper, the electric horn replaced the rubber 

bulb horn, and car heating systems consigned 

the hand warmers and long johns 

resorted to in the winter to the history 

books. Finally, the direction indicator – or 

turn signals, as they have been known 

since 1949 – carried out the function 

previously performed by the driver‘s 

outstretched arm. 

Many of these products – such as the 

horn, the windshield wiper, and the turn 

indicator – can be attributed to the work 

of Gottlob Honold, who also developed 

high-voltage magneto ignition. He was 

the company’s first head of development, 

setting up a department whose potential 

quickly became clear to Bosch. There are 

currently some 33,000 people working in 

research and development at Bosch, and 

this department was where it all started. 

Diesel and gasoline engine management 

In the era up until the 1920s, the automotive 

business sector was dominated by 

electrical components. However, Bosch 

It was not only the manufacturers of 

stolid family sedans that favored Bosch. 

Exclusive carmakers such as Bentley and 

Bugatti also opted for the southwest 

German automotive supplier (c 1935).


also built up other new areas. Injection 

technology for gasoline and diesel engines 

was one of these, with components including 

an injection pump, a governor, and 

nozzles. Electronic control units and sensors 

were also made available for injection 

systems from the late 1960s on. These 

areas of activity are now critical to the 

company’s operations. Today, Bosch has 

two divisions devoted to gasoline and 

diesel injection systems. 

As early as 1909, Bosch had already mastered 

the basic technology for fuel metering 

with the Bosch oiler. This was a lubricating 

pump that enabled precise metering and 

distribution of lubricants under high pressure 

in stationary and large vehicle engines, 

and thus performed the very task called 

for in fuel injection technology. However, 

the road to diesel injection was a long and 

difficult one. Manufactured from 1927, it 

entered the market in 1928, albeit initially 

only for trucks. Diesel components for 

passenger cars followed in 1936. 

Unlike diesel injection, gasoline injection 

was at first developed solely for use in 

aircraft. It did not serve the road vehicle 

market until after the second world war, 

when the advantages it offered in terms 

of consumption, efficiency, and emissions 

matched the new market requirements. 

By contrast, the production of carburetors 

in the early 1930s was a marginal episode 

in the history of Bosch, which it soon discontinued. 

Since the beginnings of automobile 

development, carburetors had been 

the dominant system for air-fuel mixture 

formation in gasoline engines (indeed, for 

a while, they were the only such system). 

Bosch, though, branched off in new directions. 

Specialists at the company recognized 

the potential of injection systems 

for automobiles long before they appeared 

on the market. 

Networking functions and international 

development work 

Bosch has always invested significant time 

in researching, developing, and testing 

all areas of automotive technology before 

taking products into series production. 

But a new dimension of development has 

come to the fore over the past three decades. 

Right from the very start, engineers 

now look into the possibility of networking 

functions. And rightly so, since today’s 

complex electronic systems would be 

unthinkable without networking. Sensor 

Top left: 

In order to show other 

road users which way 

the driver wanted to go, 

Bosch developed the 

direction indicator in 

1928. From 1949, it was 

displaced by the turn 

signal that is common 

today. 

Top right: 

This advertising motif 

from 1926 promises clear 

visibility with the new 

Bosch windshield wiper.


data – from the brake control system, for 

example – can now be utilized for the functions 

of other systems. The control system 

of the ESP® electronic stability program, 

for instance, can intervene in engine management 

and reduce engine power if the car 

shows signs of skidding. And as a further 

way of preventing hazardous situations, the 

brake system can utilize the radar data from 

the adaptive cruise control system. It can 

then either perform automatic emergency 

braking or, if impact is unavoidable, can 

protect occupants by activating the airbags 

faster. 

As late as the 1960s, Bosch automotive 

technology was still developed exclusively 

in Germany. To a large extent, it was also 

produced there. This situation has changed 

fundamentally over the past five decades. 

Today, Bosch has manufacturing sites on all 

continents of the world. By comparison, the 

development of Bosch products in various 

countries outside Germany is relatively new. 

Developing products in this way enables 

components and complete systems to be 

developed to meet specific market and 

regional requirements. The engine management 

system for a premium-class vehicle 

in Europe, for example, must meet highest 

quality standards in terms of performance, 

comfort, and handling. An inexpensive 

compact car in India or China, on the other 

hand, calls for basic functions at low cost 

and robust components that can cope with 

widely varying qualities of fuel and longterm 

operation on bumpy roads. This, too, 

calls for state-of the art technology. It’s just 

another way of looking at it. 

A divisional structure emerges 

The increasing complexity and variety of 

components is reflected in the ongoing 

development of the organizational structure 

of the units that develop, test, manufacture, 

and market them. In 1959, a divisional 

structure was introduced at Bosch. 

The divisions are responsible for certain 

Milestones 

1897 1902 1909 1913 1914 1921 

Magneto ignition 

device for automobiles 

Lubricating pump 

(oiler) 

Starter 

Horn 

High-voltage 


system with 

spark plug 

Headlights, voltage 

regulator, generator 

(Bosch automotive 

lighting system)


Far left: 

With his half-helmet and goggles, this 

friendly motorcyclist extols the virtues 

of the Bosch battery (1960). 

Left: 

Bosch offers a whole range of products 

for unhampered driving in the winter and 

fall (1954). 

product areas. While they have entrepreneurial 

independence, they work 

closely with the board of management. 

The Automotive Technology business 

sector comprises the following divisions: 

Gasoline injection 

The Gasoline Systems (GS) division 

develops, manufactures, and markets 

systems and components needed for 

gasoline engines, such as engine control 

units, fuel pumps for intake-manifold and 

direct injection, injection valves, sensors, 

ignition coils, and spark plugs. This division 

is also responsible for the development 

of hybrid drives, all-electric vehicle 

drive systems, and components for the 

control of automatic transmissions. 

Diesel injection 

The Diesel Systems (DS) division develops, 

manufactures, and markets systems and 

components for the management of diesel 

engines, such as engine control units, 

high-pressure pumps, high-pressure 

rails, and injection valves for commonrail 

diesel injection systems, as well as 

conventional in-line and distributor 

injection pumps. Over recent years, 

exhaust-gas treatment systems for both 

passenger cars and commercial vehicles 

have been added to the portfolio. 

Brakes and chassis 

The Chassis Systems Brakes (CB) and 

Chassis Systems Control (CC) divisions 

develop, manufacture, and market chassis 

components such as brakes and brake 

actuation and control systems. These range 

from the ABS antilock braking system to 

the ESP® electronic stability program, 

driver assistance systems based on radar 

and video, and passive safety systems 

such as airbag control units. 

1922 1924 1925 1926 1926 1927 

Battery 

Auxiliary starting 

system 

Battery ignition Windshield wipers Dynamo-battery 

ignition unit 


pump, injection 

nozzle


Energy and comfort 

The Electrical Drives (ED) division develops, 

manufactures, and markets products relating 

to body electrics and electronics. These 

include components required for wiping 

the windshield, for cooling the engine, for 

regulating the temperature in the vehicle 

interior, and for adjusting windows and 

seats. 

Engine start and energy generation 

The Starter Motors and Generators (SG) 

division develops, manufactures, and markets 

alternators as well as electric starters 

for vehicles of all sizes. These components 

generate the energy required for electrical 

consumers such as the lights or ignition 

system. The division’s products also include 

start-stop systems, which reduce fuel consumption. 


The Car Multimedia (CM) division develops, 

manufactures, and markets entertainment, 

navigation, and driver information products 

as original equipment for cars, ranging from 

conventional car radios through to complex 

navigation systems. 

Automotive electronics 

The Automotive Electronics (AE) division 

develops, manufactures, and markets semiconductor 

products such as microchips and 

sensors, as well as entire electronic control 

units for systems developed by other divisions. 

Products for the end customer 

The Automotive Aftermarket (AA) division 

markets automotive engineering products 

to the trade and end customers. This is a 

single source where the car-parts trade 

and workshops can find everything they 

need for their customers. Bosch spare parts 

for every segment, testing equipment, and 

1927 1927 1928 1928 1930 1930 

Shock absorbers Vacuum brakes Brake support Direction 

Fuel filter 

Fog lights 

indicators


From the 1930s on, Bosch published slim 

brochures listing the recommended Bosch 

components for common vehicle models. 

From 1952, the brochures were published 

in color, too. The examples shown here are 

brochures for the Opel Olympia Rekord, 

Peugeot 203, and Renault 4CV from the 

period 1952 to 1957. 

Equipment for day-to-day driving – the early years 


After the magneto ignition and the Bosch automotive lighting system, Bosch 

extended its range of products for everyday driving. New developments 

included the electric starter (1914), followed by the horn (1921), windshield 

wipers (1926), and direction indicators (1928). Bosch became a one-stop 

supplier for automotive electrics – and from 1927 on, for brakes and diesel 

injection as well. 


After the first world war, automobiles increasingly became less of a luxury 

and more an everyday product. When it rained, the windshield had to be 

wiped, and when it was dark, the vehicle needed lights to make it visible 

and illuminate the road. A horn and indicators became essential for warning 

other road-users and indicating direction. Bosch responded to these market 

needs, and in so doing created further areas in which the company could 

do business. 

know-how are available round the clock 

all over the world, for every make of car. 

Bosch Car Service workshops will service, 

diagnose faults in, and repair even the most 

modern vehicles. This division also manages 

the worldwide technical after-sales service 

for vehicle products and systems. The 

division therefore ensures that all common 

Bosch components can always be replaced, 

even if the cars for which they were made 

have not been built for many years now. 

In addition, the “Automotive Tradition” 

department provides vintage car owners 

with parts and expertise. The establishment 

of this department in 2005 underpins the 

company’s commitment to conserving 

important vehicles from the past. 

How it works 

All the first electrical products replaced mechanical forerunners. The electric 

horn replaced the bulb horn, the manually operated wiper gave way to 

windshield wipers, direction indicators were used instead of outstretched 

arms, and the starter did away with strenuous cranking-up. The aim of these 

products was to relieve the burden on drivers, so that they were distracted 

as little as possible from their primary task of driving. 

First use 

The first equipment used included accessories that could be installed in 

any vehicle. Initially, each product was mainly installed in luxury cars. The 

higher the production volumes, the cheaper and more common the products 

became. From about 1930 onward, all the standard car makes were fitted 

with direction indicators, a horn, a starter, and lights as standard equipment. 


Several divisions now develop and manufacture electrical components and 

original equipment for new vehicles. These are also available to end customers, 

for example in the form of spare parts. Bosch today provides almost 

every automotive electric function, from power-window motors to airbag 

triggering units. 

Past and present 

In 1900, Bosch recorded sales of around 

295,000 German marks, with its 12 magneto 

ignition models. For all the vehicle 

components sold in 2010, this figure was 

more than 27 billion euros. 

1931 1931 1932 1932 1933 1936 

Steering wheels Governor for diesel Combined generator, Car radio 

Steering lock Car heating system 

injection pumps starter, and ignition 

unit 

(Blaupunkt)


Bosch engine 

management – 

not just for 

smooth operation 

A motor mechanic tests the ignition 

system of a Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle 

(1954). The EWAF41 engine testing 

device could be used to test all common 

electrical automotive systems and 

components. Apart from the ignition 

system, these included the alternator 

and the starter.



From heavy-oil pumps to 

multiple injection 


In around 1920, experts were vaunting the diesel engine as the drive system 

of the future. Bosch was quick to latch on to this trend, and 1922 marked 

the official start of diesel injection pump development. Bosch started series 

production of in-line pumps for trucks on November 30, 1927. Production for 

passenger cars started in 1936. In the 1970s, Bosch solutions made the diesel 

engine a firm feature of the “Golf class.” From the end of the 1990s, highpressure 

injection systems such as common rail made the diesel into a highperformance, 

eco-friendly engine, as a result of which its market share in 

Europe rose to as much as 50 percent.


Left: 

This six-cylinder truck engine 

from 1934 is an impressive sight. 

It is equipped with a Bosch 

fuel-injection pump. 

Right: 

The Bosch oiler, manufactured 

from 1909 on, was one of the 

technological pillars on which 

diesel injection was based. This 

brochure was published in 1914. 

Robert Bosch first encountered the diesel 

engine as early as 1894. At the invitation 

of the inventor Rudolf Diesel, the young 

entrepreneur visited Augsburg to find out 

about this innovative engine design. However, 

the issue then was not yet one of 

injection systems. Instead, Rudolf Diesel 

was interested in Bosch magneto ignition, 

since the diesel engines of the time still 

needed an ignition system. They do not 

need any such system now, since in modern 

diesel engines the fuel ignites solely as a 

result of the high pressures and temperatures 

in the combustion chamber. 

While the meeting with Rudolf Diesel 

came to nothing, the same cannot be said 

of Bosch’s encounter with this new engine 

design. From 1920 on, Robert Bosch was 

forced to concede that diesel engines were 

so well developed that they presented a 

serious alternative to gasoline engines in 

vehicles. While they had lower specific 

power, they also consumed a lot less fuel – 

as much as 30 percent less. Robert Bosch 

feared for his main source of revenue – the 

magneto ignition system – since it was not 

needed in diesel engines. The time had 

come to develop components for this prom-


ising engine concept. Bosch had to be sure 

that the company was ready for this technological 

change and could benefit from the 

growth of the diesel market. 

who subsequently continued work on the 

new product on the company’s behalf. 

However, disagreements led to his departure 

in 1926. 

Green light for development 

The official go-ahead for the development 

of diesel injection equipment was given in 

1922. Bosch was able to benefit from its 

previous experience in the development 

of lubricating pumps. These pumps, also 

known as Bosch oilers, were capable of 

delivering precise quantities of fluid under 

high pressure to specific points in the 

engine – which is virtually what a fuel-injection 

pump does. Furthermore, the company 

pooled its own know-how with that of other 

diesel pioneers. Bosch acquired patents 

from Franz Lang, a development engineer 

As early as 1924, initial trials with Bosch 

injection pumps took place in the first 

series-produced diesel trucks in Germany, 

and in 1926 Bosch delivered the first prototypes 

to interested customers in the automotive 

industry. The pump was ready for 

series production at the end of 1927. The 

production release for the first 1,000 units 

was issued on November 30, 1927, with 

the units being delivered to MAN, the first 

customer, early the following year. Other 

customers were quick to follow. In the 

1930s, numerous European manufacturers 

equipped their trucks and agricultural 

Right: 

Sheet-metal advertising 

sign for diesel injection 

pumps for commercial 

vehicles, in a style 

common to the 1930s. 

Far right: 

Poster advertising diesel 

injection pumps, using 

the traditional advertising 

style for Bosch spark 

plugs (1949).


machinery with Bosch diesel injection 

systems. They included Alfa-Romeo, Asap 

(Skoda), Basse & Selve, Berliet, Bianchi, 

Borgward, Brossel Freres, Büssing, Citroën, 

Delahaye, Deuliewag, Fahr, FAMO, Faun, 

Gräf & Stift, Güldner, Hanomag, Henschel, 

Hürlimann, Isotta-Fraschini, Kaelble, 

Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz, Krupp, Lanz, 

Mercedes-Benz, O.M. Brescia, Peugeot, 

Praga, Renault, Saurer, Scania-Vabis, 

Schlüter, Tatra, and Vomag. Many of these 

truck manufacturers had previously used 

designs of their own, but rapidly converted 

to the Bosch system. This quickly resulted 

in a strong market position, which 

is reflected in production volumes: some 

100,000 fuel-injection pumps had already 

been produced by 1934. 

Offering complete systems 

For all these manufacturers, Bosch supplied 

a complete system, comprising injection 

pump, fuel lines, fuel-supply pump, 

fuel filter, injection nozzles, and nozzleholder 

assemblies, as well as glow plugs 

for cold-start conditions. Because all these 

components were delivered from a single 

source, Bosch could rule out difficulties 

in getting the systems to work. All the 

products were carefully designed to work 

together. In 1931, a further innovation 

arrived in the shape of the diesel governor. 

This guaranteed optimum fuel metering in 

any driving mode – from idling to full throttle. 

The range of injection equipment grew 

both quickly and systematically. Not only 

trucks and tractors were equipped with 

Advertisement celebrating the 

two-millionth Bosch diesel injection 

pump (1952). This is a very rare 

motif, since the diesel systems unit 

at Bosch traditionally supplied 

original equipment for new vehicles 

and therefore seldom advertised its 

own products.


Bottom left: 

The Mercedes-Benz 260 D 

was the first car in the 

world to feature diesel 

injection as standard 

(1936). 

Bottom right: 

From 1960, Bosch 

supplied the first 

distributor injection 

pumps. The Peugeot 

404 Diesel was the 

first car to feature 

this pump (1964). 

Bosch diesel injection systems, but also 

diesel locomotives, ships, airships, and 

even airplanes. 

Bosch was initially unable to enter the 

most lucrative product area of all – injection 

systems for passenger cars. Injection 

pumps were too large for this application, 

while smaller engines with smaller pumps 

would not have been powerful enough. 

But Bosch was also working in this area, 

and in 1927, unbeknown to the public, a 

sedan with a Stoewer engine converted 

to Bosch diesel technology clocked up 

more than 40,000 kilometers. 

It was not until 1936, however, that the 

first manufacturers ventured onto the 

market. Mercedes-Benz presented its 

260 D car and Hanomag a 1.9-liter diesel 

car engine, but it was 1938 before the 

latter was first installed, in the Hanomag 

Rekord. Before the second world war, 

however, diesel-powered passenger cars 

were not able to catch on. Car buyers 

were less interested in economy and more 

concerned with noise, vibration, and output 

– and these were the areas in which 

diesel cars still left much to be desired. 

Milestones 

1921 1922 1923 1927 1928 1930 


trials using Bosch 

oilers 

Official start of 

development for 

diesel injection 

technology 

First prototypes 

of diesel injection 

pumps 

Series manufacture 

of injection pumps 

and nozzles for 

commercial vehicles 

1,000th diesel 

injection pump 


injection pump


The commercial success 

of the diesel engine in 

subcompact and compact 

cars dates from 

1976, and the VW Golf 

Diesel. With its distributor 

injection pump, 

Bosch played a role in 

this success. 

Market success and new areas of business 

A further statistic demonstrates the spread 

of the diesel engine after 1945. By 1950, 

Bosch had manufactured one million units, 

and the trend showed no sign of slowing. 

At the same time, however, the traditional 

in-line pump was large and complex. For 

this reason, it was not really suitable for 

installation in small engines in inexpensive 

small cars. This was why Bosch also 

focused on distributor pumps from 1960 

on. The company was helped by the expertise 

of French manufacturers such as Sigma, 

but developed these pumps further to 

satisfy its own requirements. The Peugeot 

404 Diesel, the first car to feature a Bosch 

distributor pump, remained a one-off 

project since the pump still had a number 

of unresolved design problems. Moreover, 

there was still no broad customer base. 

Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz were the 

only companies manufacturing diesel cars 

in any great number. And both still displayed 

a preference for in-line pumps. When 

Volkswagen started showing an interest in 

small, economical diesel cars, however, the 

distributor pump’s small size and low price 

brought it back into play once again. Bosch 

had never stopped working on improvements 

in the design, and had the VE type 

pump ready for series production in good 

time. The launch of the Golf Diesel in 1976 

marked the start of a veritable boom in the 

number of diesel models in the compact 

class. Electronic control units were added 

to distributor pumps from 1986 and to 

1931 1934 1936 1950 1960 

Introduction of 


governor 

Pneumatic injection 

pump governor and 




system for 

passenger cars 

1,000,000th diesel 


First VM distributor 

pump 

1975 

VE distributor pump


Left to right: 

A look inside the engine 

compartment of an Audi 

100 TDI (1989). This 

model was the first diesel 

car in large-scale series 

production to feature 

high-pressure direct 

injection. As a result, the 

car reached a top speed 

of 195 kph, with an average 

fuel consumption of 

6 liters per 100 km. 

Common rail, the diesel 

system most frequently 

used today, was first 

installed in the Alfa 

Romeo 156 JTD (1997). 

It achieved uniform injection 

pressures of up to 

1,350 bar. This technology 

enabled multiple 

injections. 

A look inside the combustion 

chamber of a modern 

four-valve diesel engine 

(2008) 

in-line pumps from 1987. These ECU’s 

optimized emissions, noise, power, and 

consumption. Moreover, they enabled 

injection systems to be linked with other 

electronic systems, such as the traction 

control system (TCS), which stops the 

wheels spinning by intervening in engine 

management or in the brake control system. 

Bosch used this success to further extend 

its competence in both systems – in-line 

and distributor pumps. In the case of distributor 

pumps, collaboration with Audi 

resulted in the first systems capable of 

injecting fuel directly into the combustion 

chamber at a pressure of almost 1,000 bar. 

In combination with turbo-charging, this 

made the diesel engines built from 1989 

on more economical. The engines also 

produced less exhaust gas and helped 

vehicles achieve remarkable driving performance. 

High-pressure fuel injection 

marked the diesel engine’s breakthrough 

in Europe. 

Common rail and multiple injection 

The high proportion of passenger cars 

equipped with diesel engines – around 

30 percent in western Europe in 2000 – 

came about as a result of crucial further 

developments in high-pressure dieselinjection 

technology. Bosch offered a 

number of variants, including the radialpiston 

distributor pump (1996), the common-rail 

system (1997), and unit-injector 

technology (1998). They all achieved injection 

pressures of up to around 1,500 bar 

(and have even exceeded 2,200 bar in 

subsequent generations), and were thus 

characterized by both economy and performance. 

Eventually, the common-rail system won 

through. The Fiat subsidiary Elasis was 

responsible for the basic idea, but Bosch 

refined the system to make it ready for 

series production. This system offered 

crucial advantages over the other two. 

Although the peak pressures of the common-rail 

system were lower than those 

of the unit-injector system (which could 

1986 1989 1993 1995 1996 1997 

EDC electronic diesel 

control system 

VP 37 axial-piston 

distributor pump 

for direct injection 

in passenger-car 

engines 

Control-sleeve fuel 


Unit-pump system 

(UPS) 

VP 44 radial-piston 

distributor pump 

Common-rail system 

for passenger-car 

engines


achieve values of well over 2,000 bar and 

thus ensured very low consumption levels), 

the consistently high pressure at which 

the fuel is stored in the common rail for 

all cylinders enables multiple injection ‒ 

up to eight injections in a single injection 

cycle. Common rail thus not only boosted 

the popularity of diesel engines among 

customers because of their quieter operation 

– it also offered the greatest potential 

for reducing emissions. Thanks to the success 

of the common-rail system in diesel 

engines, every second newly registered 

car in western Europe was a diesel by 

2006. This made a significant contribution 

to reducing CO 2 emissions from cars. 

In 1922, Robert Bosch himself gave the 

go-ahead for the development of diesel 

systems so as not to miss out on opportunities 

in the automotive sector. His instinct 

did not deceive him. Today, Diesel Systems 

generates more sales than any other division 

in the Automotive Technology business 

sector. 



Rudolf Diesel presented the first diesel engine in 1893. From about 1920, 

truck manufacturers tested diesel engines with injection pumps. Bosch 

experimented with diesel injection pumps from 1921, and their development 

began officially in 1922. On November 30, 1927, approval was given for the 

first series production of 1,000 units. 


Up to around 1920, the gasoline engine dominated the motor vehicle industry. 

After that time, experts began debating whether the diesel engine would 

replace the gasoline engine due to its advantages in terms of torque and fuel 

consumption. Since magneto ignition, its main source of sales, was superfluous 

in the promising diesel engine, Bosch responded quickly and began 

development work. Bosch developed injection pumps and accessories such 

as governors, injection nozzles, nozzle-holder assemblies, and glow plugs. 

How it works 

Driven by the engine, the diesel injection pump introduces a precisely 

measured amount of fuel via a nozzle into the combustion chamber of each 

cylinder at the appropriate time. Due to high pressure and great heat alone, 

the fuel ignites in the cylinder and drives the piston. There is thus no need 

for a spark plug. Only for a cold start does the air-fuel mixture in the combustion 

chamber have to be heated by a glow plug. 

First use 

The first trials were performed with Mercedes and MAN trucks from 1924. 

There are records of initial trials with a Stoewer passenger car in 1927. 

The first customers for the series-produced injection equipment were Büssing, 

Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, and Saurer. First series 

application in a passenger car: Mercedes-Benz 260 D (1936) and Hanomag 

Rekord (1938). 


Diesel injection components are today products of the Bosch Diesel Systems 

(DS) division. Bosch develops, applies, manufactures, and markets diesel 

components and systems for virtually all diesel engines. Their use ranges 

from cars and trucks to ships and stationary machinery. Projections indicate 

that the diesel engine still has the potential to cut consumption by a further 

30 percent, while also complying with the latest emission standards. 

1998 1999 2004 2004 2009 2010 

Unit-injector system 

(UIS) for passengercar 

engines 


for commercialvehicle 

engines 

(CRSN) 


with piezo injectors 

for passenger-car 

engines 

Denoxtronic 

metering system for 

exhaust treatment in 

commercial vehicles 

Denoxtronic 

metering system for 

exhaust treatment 

in passenger cars 

Establishment 

of Bosch Emissions 

Systems 

GmbH & Co. KG


Not just a matter of horsepower 


As early as 1912, Bosch began experimenting with gasoline injection. From 

1935, its safety and superior performance made it the obvious choice for aircraft 

engines, which until then had generally used carburetors. Gasoline injection 

was still too costly for cars, though, and the less expensive carburetors remained 

the standard solution for the time being. Series production of gasoline injection 

systems for motor vehicles was not possible until the 1950s, following further 

progress in their development. Gasoline injection’s performance-boosting 

features were a point in its favor as far as motor-racing and high-performance 

sports cars were concerned. From the mid-1960s, however, its other strengths – 

lower consumption and reduced emissions – counted even more. Together with 

its successor models, the electronic “Jetronic” system launched by Bosch in 

1967 made gasoline injection the dominant system in the market, completely 

displacing the carburetor. In conjunction with electronic control, gasoline injection 

in cars paved the way for the widespread installation of controlled three-way 

catalytic converters, which in turn made it possible to comply with the toughest 

environmental standards. 

The jet from an 

injection nozzle 

for the Bosch 

DI-Motronic 

gasoline direct 

injection system 

(2005). 

In 1912, researchers at Bosch began to 

take a closer look at gasoline injection. 

What they wanted to achieve was a precise 

metering of fuel to stationary and vehicle 

engines. By that time, the spark-ignition 

engine had already become the standard 

drive technology in motor vehicles. It had 

long been acknowledged that the steam 

drives favored around 1900 had no future 

for road traffic, and diesel engines had not 

progressed far enough in their development 

to be an option. The experiments with 

gasoline injection were not a focal point, 

though, and soon lost impetus. The com-


pany was more interested in developing 

new electrical components for the car, from 

the starter to the windshield wiper – components 

that were becoming indispensable 

for everyday driving. 

Experiments, setbacks, and initial 

successes in the air 

From 1921, Bosch engineers began testing 

an injection system for a gasoline turbine. 

The injection assembly was a modified 

Bosch oiler, which was normally used as a 

grease pump to keep lubricating points 

in the vehicle oiled. However, these experiments 

proved disappointing, and after a 

long series of unsuccessful tests they were 

provisionally discontinued in 1928. This 

was mainly because engine performance 

had not met expectations, and because 

there was not enough lubrication in the 

pump. Unlike diesel, gasoline had no lubricating 

effect, with the result that the pumps 

frequently broke down during operation. 

The same problem cropped up again in 

experiments after 1927, in which Bosch 

tried using gasoline in diesel injection 

pumps. Lubrication failed, and the pump 

plungers jammed. 

A look inside a gasoline 

engine with manifold 

injection. Fuel is injected 

through the nozzle on 

the left. This is drawn 

in through the intake 

manifold and past the 

open valve into the combustion 

chamber. Here, 

the spark plug (on the 

right of the picture) 

ignites the air-fuel mixture 

(1988).


Advertising brochure for 

the Gutbrod Superior 

(1952). The first car to 

feature Bosch gasoline 

injection was 20 percent 

more economical than 

its carburetor version. 

Gasoline injection’s opportunity finally 

arrived with the demands of aviation. The 

commonly used carburetors were in danger 

of icing up at altitude, of overflowing during 

banking, and even of catching fire in unfavorable 

circumstances. Gasoline injection, 

by contrast, ensured greater reliability, as 

well as more power. Correspondingly, it 

became increasingly established from the 

mid-1930s on. The first trials with BMW and 

Daimler-Benz engines took place in 1932, 

and the first 8-, 9-, and 12-cylinder pumps 

went into series production from 1937. 

gasoline injection offered. The designrelated 

scavenging losses of as much as 

20 percent of the fuel had long been an 

annoying defect in standard two-stroke 

engines. With its precise fuel metering, the 

Bosch gasoline direct injection system for 

cars – presented in a two-stroke Gutbrod 

Superior 600 at the 1951 Frankfurt Auto 

Show – used up to 20 percent less gasoline 

and increased the output of the vehicle 

from 22 to 27 horsepower. In the same year, 

Goliath equipped its GP 700 with this 

system. 

Start of series production for cars 

After the second world war, the Allied 

authorities in Germany banned any further 

development of such systems for aircraft 

engines. It was for this reason that developers 

now took a second look at gasoline 

injection for passenger cars, and this time 

their efforts were successful. While the 

quest for reliability and power had driven 

its development in aircraft engine design, 

in the case of cars Bosch engineers were 

above all motivated by the economies 

Bosch, however, was focusing increasingly 

on solutions for the four-stroke engines that 

were to become dominant. From the 1950s 

on, this engine design, which is standard 

today, began to oust the simple two-stroke 

engine. Engine performance was the main 

selling point of the gull-winged Mercedes- 

Benz 300 SL, the first series-produced 

four-stroke vehicle with gasoline injection. 

An indirect injection system for large-series 

six-cylinder engines from Mercedes-Benz 

was launched as an alternative to expensive


direct fuel injection in 1957. Instead of 

gasoline being injected directly into the 

combustion chamber, as was the case 

with its predecessors, it was injected into 

the intake manifold upstream of the intake 

valves, where the air required for formation 

of the air-fuel mixture was drawn in. 

Injecting gasoline into the intake manifold 

allowed a consistently good mix to be 

created. While the increase in power was 

less dramatic than in the case of direct 

fuel injection, the system still had the 

advantage of lower fuel consumption, as 

well as needing less maintenance than 

the carburetor. That same year, Bosch 

launched another variant that cut the cost 

of the system considerably. Two smaller 

metering pumps each supplying three 

cylinders replaced the one large in-line 

pump for six cylinders. This development 

paved the way for gasoline injection to 

move from the luxury segment into midsize 

cars. The system was first installed in the 

Mercedes-Benz 220 SE. 

Electronic versus mechanical systems 

At first, sales of gasoline injection systems 

were hampered by their relatively high 

price. The key breakthrough was only made 

from 1967 on as a result of tougher legislation 

on emissions when the “Clean Air Act” 

was passed in the state of California. Only 

with electronic gasoline injection were 

many models able to comply with these 

emission standards. The expertise Bosch 

had gained in electronics gave it a decisive 

boost. As early as 1959, tests had begun 

on converted vehicles, and the first systems 

were practically ready for series production 

by 1965. The concept that Bosch presented 

in 1967 was a promising one. The electronic 

D-Jetronic paved the way for electronic 

open-loop and closed-loop control systems 

to become established in the automotive 

industry. For example, the Volkswagen 

1600 E – launched in the U.S. in 1967 – 

was only able to comply with the new U.S. 

emission standards thanks to the Bosch 

Jetronic system. It is hardly surprising that 

manufacturers such as BMW, Citroën, 

Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, Renault, 

Gull-winged Mercedes- 

Benz 300 SL with Bosch 

gasoline injection (1955). 

It was the first car with a 

four-stroke engine to be 

equipped with gasoline 

injection in large-scale 

series production. The 

focus was on output: 

215 horsepower compared 

with the 115 to 160 

achieved by the Mercedes- 

Benz Type 300 sedans 

of that period.


Schematic diagram of 

the “Jetronic” electronic 

gasoline injection system 

with original Bosch 

components (1967). 

This diagram was displayed 

at international 

motor shows. 

Saab, and Volvo had already turned to 

D-Jetronic by 1972, and that this contributed 

to the system’s success – first in the 

U.S., and then in Europe. 

D-Jetronic was suitable for all passengercars 

equipped with a gasoline engine. 

For automakers who preferred mechanical 

systems, and who still had their misgivings 

about electronics despite their reliable 

operation, Bosch launched K-Jetronic, 

which featured a continuous fuel supply, 

in 1973. For customers who preferred 

electronic engine management, L-Jetronic – 

the successor to D-Jetronic and also available 

from 1973 on – was the right choice. 

In contrast to the pressure-controlled 

D-Jetronic, L-Jetronic gauged precisely 

the right amount of fuel by measuring the 

volume of air drawn into the intake manifold 

of the engine. These electronic injection 

systems had one remarkable side-effect 

in that they were maintenance-free over 

the entire service life of the vehicle. This 

marked the end of the irksome adjustment 

work that was so common for the carburetors 

used up to that time. 

In 1981, these two systems were succeeded 

by the modified KE and LH Jetronic 

designs. Both systems were electronically 

controlled and were able, in conjunction 

with the lambda sensor, to supply an 

optimum air-fuel mix for operation with 

three-way catalytic converters. 

Milestones 

1912 1927 1932 1937 1951 1954 

First gasoline 

injection trials 

using Bosch oilers 

Field trials with 

gasoline in diesel 

injection pumps 

Experiments with 

gasoline injection 

systems for aircraft 

engines 

Delivery of gasoline 

injection pumps 

for aircraft engines 

Gasoline injection Gasoline directsystems 

as standard injection systems as 

equipment in passenger 

cars (two-stroke (four-stroke engines) 

standard equipment 

engines)


Lambda sensor and integrated engine 

management 

The lambda sensor, launched by Bosch as 

a world first in 1976 (after seven years of 

research), allowed operation of a controlled 

three-way catalytic converter. In the long 

run, this was the only way to satisfy the 

most stringent emission standards. Even 

in 1976, catalytic cleansing allowed pollutant 

emissions to be reduced by almost 

90 percent. Volvo, the first manufacturer 

to use lambda technology, was to display 

the lambda symbol on its vehicles’ radiator 

grilles for many years. None of this would 

have been possible without electronic 

gasoline injection. Only in the 1980s was 

it also possible, though expensive, to use 

catalytic systems in vehicles equipped with 

carburetors. 

Three years after the market launch of the 

lambda sensor, Bosch presented another 

world first that decisively improved gasoline 

injection and has since been adopted by 

most automakers: Motronic, a combination 

of ignition and injection featuring integrated 

electronic management of the two 

functions. It led to further optimization of 

consumption, performance, and emissions, 

and resulted in even quieter, smoother 

operation. By processing all the available 

data, such as engine temperature and 

operating status, the control system enabled 

synchronized control of injection and 

ignition. Improvements to these systems 

reached new heights in the 1980s. Injection 

and ignition were linked electronically with 

chassis systems, such as the traction control 

system (TCS) that prevents wheel spin. 

Bottom left: 

The Volkswagen VW 1600 

LE was the first model in 

large-scale series production 

to feature “Jetronic” 

electronic injection. In 

1968, the first model 

year (available from late 

summer 1967), the LE 

was initially only on sale 

in the U.S. It was also 

available in Europe from 

1969. 

Bottom right: 

Under its long hood, 

the DS 21 injection, 

Citroën’s “Goddess,” 

featured Bosch technology. 

Jetronic increased 

its output and reduced 

consumption (1971). 

1967 1973 1976 1979 1981 

D-Jetronic electronically 

controlled 

gasoline injection 

system 

K-Jetronic and 

L-Jetronic gasoline 

injection 

Lambda closed-loop 

regulation allows 

three-way catalytic 

converters to be 

used 

Motronic: Jetronic 

and fully electronic 

ignition in one 

control unit 

LH-Jetronic, 

improved L-Jetronic 

with hot-wire air 

mass meter 

1983 

KE-Jetronic and 

Mono-Jetronic 

central injection 

unit


This system required an intervention in the 

Motronic system to reduce engine speed 

until wheel spin ceased – something that 

would be inconceivable without electronic 

control of injection and ignition. To ensure 

that these increasingly complex controls 

worked properly, Bosch introduced additional 

self-diagnosis functions from 1987 

on. These were capable of recognizing and 

correcting malfunctions. 

Direct injection, stratified fuel charge, 

and downsizing 

In 2000, Bosch returned to an idea that 

had caused a stir when it featured in the 

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of 1954: direct 

injection. The innovative thing about the 

“DI-Motronic” at the time was its stratified 

fuel charge. This process involved the 

burning of a small amount of rich air-fuel 

mixture close to the spark plug, which in 

turn allowed the burning of a lean mixture 

in the rest of the combustion chamber and 

a subsequent reduction of fuel consumption 

by as much as 10 percent. 

Downsizing is another way of reducing 

fuel consumption. In this case, the engine 

displacement or the number of cylinders 

is reduced while a turbocharger increases 

power. A combination of variable valve 

control, turbocharging, and gasoline direct 

injection reduces fuel consumption considerably 

while the engine’s power and 

torque remain the same. In conjunction 

with further measures, such as the startstop 

system, fuel consumption can be reduced 

by as much as 30 percent as compared 

to conventional engines. 

Left: 

Testing “Motronic” at the Automotive 

Engineering Center in Schwieberdingen, 

near Stuttgart (1984). In 1979, the 

Motronic installed in the BMW 732i 

was the first system to manage injection 

and ignition from a single control unit. 

Right: 

A laser process enables the injection 

jet to be measured precisely. Optimizing 

the injection valve in this way lowers 

consumption, increases output, cuts 

emissions, and results in smoother 

operation (2005). 

1987 1991 1995 2000 2001 

2005 

On-board diagnosis 

for exhaust-gas 

monitoring 

Motronic with 

CAN bus 

Motronic with 

“electronic gas 

pedal” (EGAS) 

Motronic and injection 

components 

for gasoline direct 

injection (GDI) 

Motronic with 32-bit 

microprocessor 

Electro-hydraulic 

transmission control 

module


Today, Bosch gasoline injection systems are 

manufactured in various markets to meet 

specific local requirements. One particular 

example is the provision of systems for lowprice 

vehicles in Asia’s emerging markets. 

Bosch gasoline injection technology developed 

in the Indian city of Bangalore can be 

found in India’s Tata Nano, for instance – 

the cheapest automobile in the world. This 

technology is pared down to the absolutely 

essential functions and therefore keeps 

costs down while still complying with the 

most stringent emission and consumption 

criteria. 

Carburetors in cars have been consigned to 

history, and they are now scarcely found in 

cars. Today, electronic engine management 

systems made by Bosch and other manufacturers 

are fitted as standard in gasoline 

engines worldwide. This success can be 

attributed to the fuel savings, lower emissions, 

and improved performance and 

handling brought about by these systems. 

With hindsight, however, it is safe to say 

that – as is so often the case with innovations 

– the road to success never runs quite 

as smoothly as one might think. The inventive 

spirit of engineers is frequently inspired 

by quite different motivations. For example, 

the idea for gasoline injection did not come 

about in the search for a solution to cut fuel 

consumption, reduce pollutant emissions, 

or improve performance. Some 80 years ago 

now, engineers were more concerned with 

finding a solution to prevent aircraft carburetors 

from icing up. And that was where the 

seed for future solutions was sown. 



First experiments in 1912. First series application in 1937 in aircraft engines, 

where they were successful because of superior performance and safety in 

all flying situations. First series application in cars in 1951, when they were 

manufactured in small numbers for two-stroke engines. Produced in small 

numbers for four-stroke engines from 1954, with production rising from 1958. 


Development of gasoline injection for passenger cars began in 1949. Up to 

that time, the air-fuel mixture was predominantly prepared by a carburetor. 

As two-stroke vehicles were not a commercial success, nor were the injection 

systems developed for them. 1954 saw the start of series production of 

injection systems for four-stroke engines following their first use in racing 

cars from 1953 on. High cost meant only premium vehicles were equipped 

with injection systems at first. With the advent of electronics from 1967 on, 

they were also installed in midsize and compact vehicles. 

How it works 

Preparation of an air-fuel mixture that is drawn into the combustion chamber 

and caused to explode by the ignition spark. In direct injection systems, 

gasoline is not mixed with air until it reaches the combustion chamber. The 

electronic control systems introduced from 1967 on allow the air-fuel mixture 

to be varied in its richness depending on driving situation and engine temperature, 

thus optimizing performance, consumption, and engine operation. 

First use 

In trials with gasoline-driven turbines (1921) and trucks (1927), in NSU 

starter engines (1928), first experiments in aircraft engines (1932), series 

deployment in aircraft engines (1937), series deployment in the Gutbrod 

Superior (1951) and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1954) passenger cars. 

2006 

Direct injection 

with piezo injectors 

2008 

Bosch Mahle Turbo 

Systems joint venture 

set up 


Bosch gasoline systems are an integral part of electronic engine management 

systems for gasoline engines. Called Motronic, these systems regulate 

injection operations and ignition by means of a single central control unit. 

They have displaced the traditional carburetor. Nearly every modern car with 

a spark-ignition engine has gasoline injection.


A future for electric vehicles 

Alternative drive systems from Bosch


Bosch is not just a leading supplier of diesel and gasoline injection systems. 

For over four decades, the company has been researching electric drives for 

road vehicles and, since 2010, it has been supplying solutions for hybrid systems, 

which combine an internal-combustion engine with an electric motor. 

The internal-combustion engine will remain the predominant technology in 

cars for private transport for many years to come. Nonetheless, engineers at 

Bosch are working to make sure that mobility also remains affordable when 

the electric drive displaces gasoline or diesel engines in cars in the future. 

With the exception of idyllic islands where 

internal-combustion engines are banned, 

electric cars have not yet become a common 

sight on our roads. But this situation 

is set to change in the decades ahead as the 

rapid pace of motorization, particularly in 

the fast-growing economies of Asia, makes 

the search for alternatives a must. Any new 

concepts must take environmental impact 

into account, as well as the limited supply 

of crude oil. The internal-combustion engine 

is currently still the most cost-effective solution 

in the market, and Bosch engineers are 

working on improving it further still. But 

they are also working in parallel on making 

the vision of electric driving a reality. They 

are focusing on three main areas. First, on 

developing and manufacturing high-performance 

lithium-ion batteries. For this purpose, 

Bosch has set up the SB LiMotive joint venture 

together with the Korean manufacturer 

Samsung SDI. Second, on improving the 

power electronic components. These components 

are the link between the battery 

and electric motor, and convert the battery’s 

DC voltage into the AC voltage required 

by the electric motor. And third, on 

pushing forward with the development of 

the electric motor itself, a key area in which 

Bosch has accumulated almost 100 years 

of expertise. 

A record-breaking start 

The history of hybrid and electric drives 

at Bosch starts in the 1960s, with research 

into all-electric drives. The first prototypes 

equipped with a Bosch electric drive were 

already being driven in 1967. On May 17, 

1971, test drives in an Opel GT sports 

coupé on the Hockenheim Ring racetrack 

in Germany demonstrated the potential 

of the electric drive. The driver Georg von 

Opel immediately broke several acceleration 

world records. Technicians at the 

Schwieberdingen location near Stuttgart 

had developed the sports car’s power 

electronics and the two DC motors, each 

with an output of 44 kilowatts. The first 

large-scale trial with electric, zero-emission 

buses kicked off in Mönchengladbach as 

early as 1974. 

Widely acclaimed prototype 

In the case of hybrid drive – that is to say, 

the combination of an internal-combustion 

engine and an electric motor – the start of 

activities was marked by a research vehicle 

based on a Ford Escort station wagon. It 

was equipped with a series-produced gasoline 

engine and an electric motor that powered 

the vehicle up to speeds of 30 kilometers 

an hour. The alternator of the gasoline 

Left: 

Cockpit of the Ford 

Escort Hybrid. The 

production vehicle was 

converted by Bosch 

engineers in 1973. The 

first prototype of a hybrid 

automobile combining a 

gasoline engine with an 

electric motor, it made 

a great impression on 

the trade press. It could 

drive at a speed of up to 

30 kph on electric power 

alone.


Left: 

Since 2010, Bosch has been supplying hybrid 

drives to several automakers. They differ from 

other concepts in being designed for conventional 

vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines. The 

picture shows a quality test on hybrid components. 

Right: 

The BMW 1602 Elektro. This car was used to 

accompany long-distance races during the 1972 

Munich Olympics. To protect the athletes from 

harmful emissions, BMW converted the vehicle 

to an electric drive. The 144-volt direct-current 

motor from Bosch had an output rating of 32 kW 

and enabled the car to reach speeds of up to 

100 kph. 

engine recharged the batteries. A concept 

familiar from hybrid drives today – recovering 

braking energy to charge the batteries – 

was not yet integrated in the system. This 

process – known as recuperation – had, 

however, formed part of research activities 

at Bosch since 1966. The technology was 

first applied in the summer of 1979, in a 

large-scale trial for hybrid buses featuring 

combined diesel and electric drives. 

Renaissance and breakthrough 

Today, nearly four decades after Bosch 

unveiled the first prototype, more and more 

automakers are looking to produce vehicles 

with hybrid drives. In view of the growing 

environmental awareness among customers, 

strict emissions legislation, and dwindling 

raw materials, the spotlight is being 

trained with ever greater intensity on alternatives 

to the traditional internal-combustion 

engine. The hybrid will, however, be a 

transitional technology en route to an allelectric 

car. The question as to when the 

breakthrough of the all-electric drive will 

come is inextricably linked with the further 

development of battery technology. At 

present, the costs still far outweigh the 

benefits. 

Future prospects 

Hybrid projects with automotive customers 

are one pillar of the company’s activities 

for alternative drives. The first models made 

by Volkswagen and Porsche are already in 

series production. They feature a world 

first – the “parallel strong hybrid.” In addition 

to enabling all-electric operation, this 

Bosch development with very sophisticated 

control technology is also less complicated 

than “power split” technology, which relies 

on several electric motors and is the solution 

favored in Japan and the U.S. For the 

customer, this means lower fuel consumption 

and lower emissions than with conventional 

models. This is because, in this 

hybrid model, most of the energy used for 

all-electric driving over short distances is 

recuperated during braking. On the other 

hand, for customers who still need to 

drive longer distances, this hybrid is still 

equipped with a regular internal-combustion 

engine. 

Milestones 

1967 1971 1973 1974 1988 1998 

Presentation of 

research on electric 

automotive drives 

Opel GT equipped 

with Bosch electric 

motors and power 

electronics breaks 

world records 

Hybrid prototype 

based on a Ford 

Escort is unveiled 

Large-scale trials 

featuring all-electric 

urban buses in 

Mönchengladbach 

Field test with 

30 VW Golf hybrid 

cars, equipped with 

Bosch technology 

Electronic components 

developed for 

Volkswagen’s “City 

Stromer” test vehicle


One further concept for hybrid drive is 

the “plug-in hybrid.” To enable all-electric, 

and thus emission-free driving over long 

distances, these hybrid vehicles are 

equipped with a more powerful lithium-ion 

battery and a charger. This charger allows 

the vehicle to be recharged at a power 

outlet – hence the name “plug-in hybrid.” 

The second pillar of the company’s activities 

in this area is all-electric drives, which 

in the long term will gain in significance, 

particularly in the world’s fast-growing 

megacities. To cut pollution from traffic 

emissions in these metropolises, Bosch is 

also working on concepts to drive vehicles 

on electrical power alone. Projects include 

an all-electric car in which the battery is 

charged from a socket and an electric 

vehicle with range extender – a small internal-combustion 

engine for generating and 

supplying electrical power that is activated 

on the move when the battery is running 

low. 

Alternative drive systems 


Bosch started conducting trials with electric vehicles in the 1960s. They 

were intended to serve as test vehicles for urban areas. In addition to cars, 

developers at Bosch focused on commercial vehicles such as emission-free 

electric buses for local public transport. 


Internal-combustion engines (diesel and gasoline) are still the dominant and 

most cost-effective drive systems, and will remain so over the next few years. 

Despite significant growth, hybrid vehicles remain a niche market and electric 

vehicles are still too expensive given current battery costs. Nonetheless, 

Bosch is continuing its development work in both areas to ensure its technological 

leadership when electric or hybrid drives make their breakthrough. 

First use 

Bosch presented the results of its research on electric automotive drive 

systems at the 1967 automotive press briefing, an annual event for journalists 

in this field. Initial test vehicles with all-electric drives – in buses for 

Mönchengladbach’s public transport network – were unveiled in 1974. One 

year prior to this, Bosch presented its first hybrid test vehicle, a Ford Escort 

with a 40-kilowatt gasoline engine and a DC electric motor with a peak 

output of 32 kilowatts (rated output 16 kilowatts). 


The first hybrid vehicles with Bosch drive technology went into series 

production in 2010. In parallel to these hybrid activities, Bosch is also 

investing in the development of electromotive drive systems. In addition 

to an electric motor, this concept includes power electronic components, 

which play the key role of converting the battery’s DC voltage into the AC 

voltage required by this motor. It also incorporates the battery technology 

developed and series-produced by SB LiMotive, a joint venture set up by 

Bosch and Samsung. 

2000 2005 2008 2009 2010 

Fiat EcoDriver 

hybrid vehicle 

equipped with 

Bosch technology 

Bosch project unit 

for hybrid technologies 

established 

SB LiMotive joint 

venture set up with 

Samsung SDI to 

develop lithium-ion 

batteries 

Establishment of 

the Electric Vehicles 

and Hybrid Systems 

business unit 

Start of series 

production of 

the world’s first 

parallel strong 

hybrid


Drives like a dream – 

safety, guidance, 

and comfort 

Sitting more safely thanks to iBolts. 

The bolts securing the passenger 

seat use built-in sensor technology 

to measure the weight of the passenger 

and adjust the force with which 

the airbag is released, depending on 

whether a child or adult is in the seat 

(2008).



Past every obstacle 

Braking and chassis systems made by Bosch


In the 1920s, cars were already reaching speeds of 80 kilometers an hour 

and more, and brakes were finding it hard to keep up. Bosch addressed this 

problem in 1927, bringing out the “Bosch servo brake,” which reduced braking 

distances by one-third. To help increase the braking effect, the system used 

the vacuum that arises in the induction tract of the engine when the driver 

releases the accelerator. In the following decades, Bosch went on to systematically 

expand its work on brakes and braking systems. One of the highlights of 

this work was the ABS antilock braking system, launched in 1978. This also laid 

the foundation for further systems: traction control (TCS) to prevent the driven 

wheels from spinning, and the ESP® electronic stability program to stop vehicles 

from swerving and skidding. 

Anyone who thinks of Bosch and brakes will 

automatically think of the abbreviation ABS. 

What is not as widely known is that Bosch 

has not just developed systems to prevent 

wheels from locking and skidding during 

braking, but also the brake systems themselves. 

Bosch was already producing servo 

brake systems for commercial vehicles as 

early as 1927, manufacturing the Dewandre 

servo brake under license. Customers could 

order the retrofitted “Bosch brake support” 

for installation in passenger cars from 1928. 

Fritz Seitz, the head of advertising at Bosch 

at the time, had the following to say when 

asked to explain why drivers needed better 

brakes: “The fast speed of modern cars 

has a special attraction that nobody can 

resist and no motorist wants to do without.” 

Although this quote dates from 1927, 

it is still basically true today. The only 

difference, albeit a crucial one, is that 

the brakes available in the 1920s achieved 

nowhere near the level of effectiveness 

and comfort that is possible today. These 

earlier brakes were purely mechanical 

and were cable-actuated. To stop the car 

quickly by applying the brakes fully, drivers 

had to apply both feet and their entire body 

weight. 

Left: 

The comparison 

demonstrates the effect 

of the ABS antilock 

braking system. The 

picture from 1978 shows 

the Mercedes-Benz 

S-Class W 116, the first 

to be equipped with the 

Bosch ABS. 

In Arjeplog, northern 

Sweden, Bosch tests chassis 

systems on frozen lakes. 

The picture shows an 

Audi 100 GL featuring a 

pilot version of ABS (1975).


Bottom left: 

The Bosch-Dewandre 

servo brake was available 

for commercial vehicles 

from 1927 on. It reduced 

braking distances by 

one-third. 

Bottom right: 

The Bosch brake support 

(1928, small cylinder at 

the bottom of the picture 

in the center) was a 

brake booster that could 

be retrofitted in cars. 

Rest your calf muscles 

The Dewandre system was continuously 

improved and the name Dewandre disappeared 

from the brochures, which proclaimed 

the “Bosch compressed-air brake” 

from the mid-1930s on. Dewandre’s idea 

was good, but it was Bosch that turned it 

into a reasonably priced ready-for-market 

quality product, once more demonstrating 

its frequently used strategy. The compressed-air 

brake worked by using the 

vacuum generated in the induction tract 

of an engine when the driver releases the 

accelerator. A valve was used to connect 

the tract to a brake cylinder, enabling the 

vacuum to increase pedal force when braking. 

This principle increased pedal force 

by 30 kilograms. By boosting the available 

braking force, it also enabled drivers to 

brake sharply without the need for physical 

exertion. Experiments showed that the 

braking distance of a passenger car was 

reduced by 30 percent thanks to this development. 

“Rest your calf muscles” read an 

apt Bosch advertising slogan at the time. 

Enhancing competence in braking systems 

Bosch constantly expanded its competence 

in the area of braking systems. 

Pneumatically controlled systems such as 

compressed-air brakes underwent further 

development, as did the hydraulic systems 

with which all of today’s passenger cars 

are equipped. An important milestone was 

taking over the brake business of the U.S. 

company Allied Signal Inc. in 1996. This 

turned Bosch into a systems supplier of 

complete braking and brake control systems 

for vehicles. From today’s perspective, 

one event from the early days of brake 

development at Bosch is particularly interesting. 

It marks the origins of Bosch as a 

manufacturer of brake control systems such 

as the now well-established ABS antilock 

Milestones 

1927 1928 1936 1969 1973 1975 

Pneumatic power 

brake license from 

Dewandre 

Bosch brake 

support 

Patent for antilocking 

system 

Start of development 

of antilocking system 

at Bosch 

Bosch acquires 

a share in Teldix 

Pooling of ABS 

activities at Bosch


braking system. In an effort to make 

brakes even more effective, engineers 

carried out research into an antilock system, 

and patented it in 1936. The aim of 

this system was to prevent the wheels 

from locking when the brakes were applied 

with force – a phenomenon which made 

it impossible to steer the vehicle. The idea 

was still unfeasible at the time, as it was 

not technically possible to achieve the 

split-second reaction to locking that the 

system called for. With the benefit of 

hindsight, it is clear that the advent of 

electronics was necessary to bring the 

system to market, both with respect to 

reaction speed and to practical everyday 

use. 

The project to create an antilock 

braking system 

From 1964 on, researchers at Teldix GmbH 

had been working on an antilock system 

for vehicles. The idea was presented to 

Daimler-Benz AG in 1966, and close collaboration 

between the two companies 

ensued. Comprehensive winter trials 

demonstrated that the product (known 

as “ABS 1”) worked, but the durability of 

its electronics left a lot to be desired. After 

acquiring a 50 percent holding in Teldix 

in 1973, Bosch became involved in the 

project. Developers at Bosch had also 

been working on an electronically controlled 

antilock system, and the company 

Top: 

In 1984, Bosch founded 

the joint venture Nippon 

ABS with a Japanese 

partner. That very same 

year, the Mitsubishi 

Galant and the Nissan 

Fairlady were available 

with ABS. 

1975 1978 1985 1986 1986 1986 

ABV antilock system 

for trucks presented 

by Knorr and Bosch 

Bosch ABS 2 antilock 


Bosch ABS in U.S. 

vehicles for the first 

time 

ABS 3: ABS and 

brake booster in 

one component 

TCS traction control 

system 

One million ABS


had a wealth of experience in the area of 

automotive electronics – as a result of 

developing the Jetronic electronic gasoline 

injection system, for example. 

In 1975, Bosch took over full responsibility 

for ABS development. It bought up the 

remaining Teldix shares in 1981. The main 

contribution made by Bosch was its development 

and manufacturing experience with 

electronic components, which had reached 

a stage where they were robust enough 

for use in vehicles. For example, Bosch 

had long been using them in regulators for 

alternators and in injection systems. These 

components significantly improved the 

computing performance of the ABS central 

control unit, dramatically reduced the 

number of components in the control unit 

itself by employing highly integrated circuits, 

and at last ensured the level of reliability 

that was needed. The result, in 1978, 

was known as “ABS 2.” After an initial phase 

when it was only available as special equipment 

in luxury sedans, the system and its 

successors gradually found their way into 

all vehicle segments. A comparable system 

was introduced for commercial vehicles in 

1982, based on the standard pneumatic 

brakes used in this segment. 

By 1986, the first million systems had 

been delivered. Bosch also supplied an 

ABS for motorcycles from 1994. In 2009, 

the company launched the first ever system 

designed specifically for motorcycles. 

This was followed in 2010 by the world’s 

smallest system for motorcycles. 

Eight years after the ABS was introduced 

in 1978, Bosch launched TCS (or traction 

control), which had been the subject of 

intense research since 1980. Just as ABS 

stops brakes from locking during braking, 

TCS prevents wheels from spinning during 

start-up and acceleration. 

ESP® prevents skidding 

Yet the story of innovation in brake control 

systems does not end here. In 1995, Bosch 

introduced the ESP® electronic stability 

program. This program uses sensor signals 

to continuously compare the actual movement 

of the vehicle with the direction specified 

by the driver. These data are analyzed 

rapidly in the control unit. If the analysis 

indicates that a dangerous – and uncontrollable 

– situation is imminent (e. g. skidding), 

ESP® intervenes to correct this. By reducing 

engine torque and braking each wheel 

individually, the system helps the driver 

1992 1994 1995 1996 1999 2001 

Ten million ABS ABS for motorcycles ESP® electronic 

stability program 

Acquisition of 

brake business 

of Allied Signal Inc. 

(U.S.) 

50 million ABS EHB electrohydraulic 

brake


Far left: 

Testing the ESP® electronic stability program 

at the test site near Arjeplog in northern 

Sweden (1995). At the time, the system was 

still called vehicle dynamics control (VDC). 

Left: 

If a vehicle suddenly has to swerve, ESP® 

prevents uncontrolled breaking away or 

skidding, thus helping to prevent accidents 

(2008). 

Braking and brake control systems from Bosch 


Bosch began working on vehicle braking systems in the 1920s. Mechanical 

systems were no longer able to cope with the vehicle speeds already being 

achieved in those days. The servo brake was a pneumatic or hydraulic system 

that increased braking power while reducing the force needed to actuate 

the brakes. The roots of modern brake control systems such as ABS can be 

found here and, in particular, in a Bosch patent for an “antilocking system” 

dating from 1936. 


Bosch initially had a license to manufacture the Dewandre servo brake, but 

this was subsequently replaced by products designed by Bosch itself. Work 

to produce brake control systems such as ABS was based on this knowledge. 

However, ABS and its successor systems TCS and ESP® were not technically 

feasible until the advent of digital electronics from the end of the 1970s. 

prevent the vehicle from breaking away or 

skidding. A further stand-out feature of this 

development is its networking with other 

electronic control units. Like TCS, ESP® 

can intervene in the engine management 

system that controls injection and ignition. 

It can automatically cut off fuel in order to 

stabilize a vehicle. This sets it apart from 

the ABS that was launched 17 years before. 

Today, passenger cars and commercial 

vehicles are fitted with Bosch brake control 

systems as standard. And ABS and ESP® 

systems are widespread. In fact, it is not 

possible to imagine modern cars without 

ABS. Since July 2004, every new car sold 

in Europe has had an antilock braking 

system as standard equipment. Many of 

these ABS systems are made by Bosch. 

In the years to come, this will also be true 

for ESP®. In 2009, around 80 percent 

of new cars in Germany were already 

equipped with this system. From 2014, 

ESP® will be mandated for every new car 

produced in the EU member states, the 

U.S., and Australia. This will help cut the 

number of accidents, thereby increasing 

safety for vehicle occupants and other 

road users. 

How it works 

Early servo brake systems from Bosch made use of the vacuum generated 

in the induction tract of the engine when the driver releases the accelerator. 

By applying this previously unused vacuum to the brake cylinder when the 

brake pedal was actuated, braking power was increased, despite a lower 

pedal force. Modern brake control systems such as ABS use the hydraulics 

of the braking system to influence the braking effect, increasing or reducing 

brake fluid pressure to prevent locking, for example. This requires an electronic 

management system that uses sensors to detect incipient locking of 

the wheels and take corrective action. 

First use 

Bosch launched the Dewandre servo brake in 1927 for use in all types of 

trucks. This was followed in 1928 by the smaller brake support for passenger 

cars, which was available for all standard makes of passenger car. Modern 

brake control systems were introduced for luxury-class cars. The first models 

to have ABS were the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 7 Series. The 

ESP® electronic stability program made its debut in 1995, also in the 

Mercedes S-Class. 


Today, hardly any car can manage without hydraulic power-assisted brakes. 

And almost 100 percent of cars in Europe are now fitted with ABS. Brake 

control systems such as ESP® will be standard equipment in all automobiles 

in the next decade. This system is already installed in 58 percent of all new 

vehicles in Europe. Bosch alone now manufactures more than 20 million 

brake control systems each year. Braking and brake control systems are 

developed, manufactured, and marketed by the Bosch divisions Chassis 

Systems Brakes (CB) and Chassis Systems Control (CC). 

2003 2005 2006 2008 2009 2010 

100 million ABS ESP® Plus ESP® Premium ESP® with integrated 

inertia sensor 

200 million brake 

control systems 

World’s smallest and 

lightest motorcycle 

ABS


The ACC adaptive cruise 

control distance radar 

launched in 2000 is one of 

the first complex electronic 

driver assistance systems. 

It ensures that a constant 

safe distance is maintained, 

even when the vehicle in 

front brakes.


The sensitive car 

Driver assistance systems made 

by Bosch 

Many silent helpers are at work under a car’s bodywork, and most go completely 

unnoticed by drivers. The electronic driver assistance systems made by 

Bosch are designed to make driving safer and more comfortable. Today, driver 

assistance systems can prevent collisions, mitigate the consequences of accidents 

for occupants and pedestrians, and perform parking maneuvers almost 

entirely independently. These functions are also aided by the incorporation of 

brake control systems such as ESP®, and by the networking and combined use 

of up to 80 sensors that act as a car’s “sensory organs.” 

Two forerunners and the kick-off point – 

the Bosch bell, direction indicators, 

and a parking aid 

Very simple mechanical forerunners to 

today’s driver assistance systems – such 

as the “Bosch bell” that controlled tire 

pressure or indicators to signal a change 

in direction – were available as early as 

the 1920s. However, these examples do 

no more than show that Bosch recognized 

the importance of relieving drivers of distracting 

tasks and alerting them to imminent 

dangers. 

centimeters can sometimes be crucial – 

much easier, and prevented damage to 

vehicles. In this system, sensors send 

out ultrasound signals and pick up their 

echo. The system then uses the time difference 

between these two signals to calculate 

the distance between the vehicle and 

obstacle, and informs the driver using visual 

or audible signals. This makes it possible 

to navigate even the smallest of parking 

spaces. Today, the parking aid is offered as 

an extra by virtually all automakers worldwide. 

The first real milestone en route to today’s 

driver assistance systems – the parking 

aid – came about as a result of increasing 

traffic density, and coincided with the 

availability of powerful electronics. This aid 

made parking maneuvers – where a few 

Driving with foresight – adaptive cruise 

control (ACC) 

In 2000, Bosch launched the radar-based 

adaptive cruise control (ACC) system. This 

milestone primarily made driving more 

comfortable, but also helped improve road


The predecessors of today’s driver assistance 

systems: on the right the direction indicator 

(1927), the forerunner of the turn signal, and 

on the left the Bosch bell (1923), a tire-pressure 

warning device 

safety. ACC is based on conventional cruise 

control, where a speed specified by the 

driver is maintained automatically. As well 

as this, ACC can accelerate or brake the 

vehicle independently, adjusting speed to 

match the prevailing traffic conditions. To 

do this, the system uses data from a radar 

sensor, which continuously monitors the 

area in front of the vehicle. If the car gets 

too close to a vehicle ahead or if another 

road user switches from another lane to cut 

in front, ACC brakes gently to maintain a 

specific minimum distance. When the lane 

is free again, ACC accelerates the vehicle 

to the speed chosen by the driver. The ACC 

Stop & Go function, which can brake all the 

way to a standstill and then move off again 

automatically, first went into series production 

in 2007. 

Seeing in the dark – Night Vision system 

Rather than relieving drivers of tasks, other 

systems help improve orientation considerably, 

especially when visibility is poor. One 

such example is the infrared Night Vision 

system, which was launched in 2005. This 

system increases the driver’s field of vision 

by more than three times compared with 

conventional low-beam headlights – without 

dazzling other road users. The Bosch sys-


tem has two headlights that scan the road 

ahead by means of light cones that are 

invisible to the human eye. A video camera 

mounted behind the windshield records the 

details and transmits the image data via a 

control unit to a display on the instrument 

panel, where the traffic status is depicted 

as a high-resolution black-and-white picture. 

The Night Vision system thus provides 

valuable information on traffic situations, 

road users at risk, and potential obstacles 

and hazards on or around the road. 

Guided by an invisible hand – the parking 

assistant 

In 2008, Bosch developed a new product 

based on the idea of the parking aid. This 

time, rather than just making parking easier, 

the aim was to relieve the driver of much 

of the work. The parking assistant is 

equipped with two additional ultrasound 

sensors located on each side of the front 

bumper. Designed to work at speeds of up 

to 30 kilometers an hour, these sensors 

scan the side of the road looking for possible 

parking spaces. The parking assistant 

lets the driver know immediately when it 

finds a suitable gap. If the driver switches 

to automatic parking mode, the system 

takes just fractions of a second to calculate 

the optimum path into the space, the necessary 

steering maneuvers, and the number 

of parking maneuvers needed. Now the 

parking assistant takes control: The driver 

lets go of the steering wheel and simply 

controls the parking maneuver by accelerating 

and braking. With the support of electric 

power-assisted steering, the assistant 

automatically performs all the steering 

movements and guides the vehicle into even 

the tightest of spaces. The driver can stop 

the procedure at any time. 

Automatic emergency braking – predictive 

sensor technology 

In critical situations, a driver often only 

has a few seconds to take evasive action in 

order to avoid a rear-end collision. Accident 

research shows that in dangerous situations 

most drivers either brake too hesitantly 

or – in some cases – not at all. That is why 

Bosch developed the multi-level predictive 

emergency braking system, which went into 

series production in 2010. In this system, 

radar and video sensors are networked with 

ESP® to warn the driver of the threat of a 

rear-end collision, and help prevent an 

accident or at least reduce the speed of 

impact. 

Top left: 

As many as 100 sensors 

are used in a passenger 

car. They are indispensable 

for complex driver 

assistance systems, since 

they deliver the precise 

data that allow such 

systems to be controlled 

and managed (2008). 

Top right: 

At night, drivers can 

fail to spot pedestrians. 

Using a combination of 

infrared and thermal 

images, the “Night 

Vision” system picks up 

things that are missed 

by the light cones of even 

state-of-the-art headlights 

(2005).


A mere vision just a few years ago, the parking 

assistant has been a reality since 2008. It measures 

the parking space automatically and, as if by 

magic, the electronics do all the steering without 

the driver’s intervention. 

A collision warning system is the first level 

of this predictive emergency braking system. 

It recognizes potential collisions and 

prepares the braking system for an imminent 

emergency braking operation. That 

way, the driver has access to the car’s full 

braking capacity fractions of a second 

earlier than normal. This extra time is 

crucial. The system’s second level – the 

emergency brake assistant – calculates 

continuously how strongly the vehicle 

must brake to avoid a collision. If the 

driver brakes early enough after the 

warning but not with sufficient power, 

the emergency brake assistant increases 

the braking pressure as necessary. 

In many cases, valuable time is lost before 

a driver reacts in a critical situation. This 

is where the third level of the system – 

automatic emergency braking – comes into 

play. Following the collision warning, the 

function automatically triggers a partial 

braking operation. This slows the vehicle 

considerably, giving the driver more time 

to react. As soon as he applies the brake, 

the emergency braking assistant steps in 

to help by increasing the braking pressure 

in order, where possible, to prevent an 

accident. If the driver still does not react, 

the system triggers emergency braking 

shortly before the collision. At this late 

stage, the system cannot prevent the accident, 

but it can significantly reduce the 

severity of the impact and therefore the 

risk of injury. 

If the worse comes to the worst – passive 

safety reduces the consequences 

If an accident cannot be prevented, passive 

safety systems such as airbags and seat 

belts offer the best possible protection for 

occupants. In the event of an accident, they 

minimize the acceleration and forces acting 

on the body and thus reduce the severity 

of injuries as much as possible. Networking 

airbag control with ESP® or surround sensors, 

such as a video camera or a radar 

sensor, gives rise to new functions that can 

identify an imminent accident at an earlier 

stage. 

Milestones 

1923 1927 1993 2000 2005 2005 

Bosch bell Direction indicators Parking aid Adaptive cruise Night Vision system Predictive brake 

control (ACC) 

assist


Outlook 

In the coming decades, traffic density will 

continue to grow worldwide, increasing 

rapidly in emerging markets such as China 

and India and rising steadily in Europe, 

America, Australia, and Africa. At the same 

time, the demographic shift underway in 

many countries means that the number of 

older road users will increase, too. As a 

result, driver assistance systems for comfort, 

navigation, and safety are set to become 

ever more important. This is the only 

way to continue to reduce the number of 

accidents and victims and make sure that 

the traffic in and around large cities continues 

to flow. 

Despite these developments, Bosch is 

certain that drivers will remain in charge 

of their vehicles in the future. Driver assistance 

systems will remain in the background. 

They must only be allowed to intervene 

when activated by the driver, or in 

response to a life-threatening situation in 

which the driver no longer has enough time 

to react. 

Driver assistance systems 


The forerunner to all Bosch driver assistance systems is the Bosch bell, an 

acoustic air-pressure warning device that was launched in 1923. If the tire 

pressure fell sharply, the clapper of the device attached to the tire struck the 

side of the tire and the bell rang. The history of modern-day electronically 

controlled driver assistance systems started at the end of the 1980s with 

the European Union’s “PROMETHEUS” (PROgraM for a European Traffic with 

Highest Efficiency and Unlimited Safety) project. The driving force behind 

this program was the vision of automated driving. 


Driver assistance systems make driving safer and more comfortable. They 

help drivers devote their full attention to the traffic situation without being 

distracted. These systems are a response to the dramatic increase in traffic 

density over recent decades, which requires drivers to be ever more vigilant. 

Other examples aside from the classic parking aid (1995) include the adaptive 

cruise control (ACC) system (2000), the Night Vision system (2005), 

the predictive brake assist (2005), and the parking assistant (2008), which 

measures parking spaces as the vehicle passes by and takes over the steering 

operations during the parking process. Navigation systems that offer 

route guidance and warn of traffic jams are also classed as driver assistance 

systems. 

First use 

Ignoring forerunners such as the Bosch bell and direction indicators, the 

history of driver assistance systems starts with the launch of the ultrasoundbased 

parking aid in 1995. This system helps drivers park and maneuver 

their cars safely by monitoring the area immediately in front of and behind 

the vehicle and providing a graduated audible and /or visual warning of 

obstacles at distances of up to around 250 centimeters. 


Nowadays, it would be hard to imagine cars without driver assistance 

systems. They make driving more comfortable and relaxing by taking over 

routine tasks. What’s more, their sophisticated sensors help improve safety 

and prevent accidents, or at least lessen their severity, for example through 

automatic emergency braking if an impact is imminent or by triggering 

airbags earlier and more precisely. 

2007 2008 2009 2009 2010 

ACC Stop & Go Parking assistant LRR3 long-range 

radar sensor 

Night Vision plus 

with pedestrian 

detection function 

Predictive emergency 

braking system


Entertainment combined with traffic 

and road information 


The first signs of crisis in the automotive industry in 1926 prompted Bosch, 

hitherto solely an automotive supplier, to start looking for new areas of business. 

As part of this strategy, Bosch took over the radio manufacturer Ideal- 

Werke Berlin in 1933 (renamed Blaupunkt-Werke in 1938). The first joint 

project between the two companies was the Autosuper 5, the first car radio 

in Europe to be series-manufactured. The Blaupunkt brand is no longer part 

of the company today, with Bosch preferring instead to focus entirely on car 

multimedia in its role as an original equipment supplier to automakers.


Weighing in at a hefty 12 kilograms, the 

Autosuper 5 only just about fitted under the 

dashboard. Nonetheless, the first seriesmanufactured 

car radio in Europe created 

quite a stir in 1932. At a price of more than 

300 reichsmarks, though, its sales success 

was modest at first. After all, this was 

equiva lent to the monthly salary of a wellpaid 

engineer at Bosch. Technical problems 

also prevented more wide-scale distribution 

at first. The electron tubes were not yet able 

to withstand vibrations from bumpy country 

roads for any significant period of time. 

By the time the successor model, the 5A75, 

came out in 1935, these problems had been 

solved. 

After relocating its headquarters from 

Berlin to Hildesheim, Blaupunkt started 

production of the 5A649 model in 1949. 

The car radio was systematically developed 

into a mass-produced product. For example, 

by 1950 a radio had already been designed 

especially for the VW Beetle. 1952 saw 

the introduction of the first FM radio. This 

was followed by the first mechanical search 

tuning device in 1954 and the first transistor 

radios, which were much smaller and 

lighter, in 1957. In 1960, to cater to people’s 

enthusiasm for day trips, Blaupunkt 

introduced a radio called “Westerland,” 

which was fitted in the car but could be 

Left: 

Title page of the first 

advertising brochure for 

Blaupunkt car radios 

(1932). The “Autosuper 5” 

was available for cars, for 

motor boats, and for 

airplanes. 

Right: 

The bulky car radios of 

the 1930s were installed 

under the dashboard, and 

the remote controls (left) 

within easy reach of the 

driver. The picture shows 

the 7A78 model, and a 

Bosch vehicle heater 

beneath it (1938).


From 1951, there 

was a car radio 

specially designed 

for the Volkswagen 

Type 1 Beetle – the 

A 51 L. It was dimensioned 

to fit into the 

car’s installation 

recess. 

taken out for Sunday picnics. In 1969, 

the first stereo car radio was launched in 

Europe, followed by the first CD player in 

1985, and the first MP3-enabled car radio 

in 2001. 

Information and entertainment 

In addition to entertainment, car radios 

began to feature something quite new in 

the 1970s: driver information. In 1974, 

Blaupunkt introduced the ARI traffic news 

decoder. This enabled drivers to find out 

where there were traffic jams on the highway, 

allowing them to divert to routes with 

less traffic in good time. The early-warning 

function also helped to improve road safety 

and prevent accidents. ARI picked up the 

additional signal transmitted by the stations 

that broadcast traffic news. By means of an 

LED, the decoder showed drivers whether 

they had selected a station that had this 

information. Drivers and their passengers 

could be sure that they would always hear 

traffic news on the full hour, following the 

news, even if the radio was turned down or 

a tape was playing. 

Independent navigation 

In 1983, Blaupunkt presented the first 

prototypes for vehicle navigation. The 

“electronic pilot for drivers,” or EVA for 

Milestones 

1932 1949 1952 1957 1960 1965 

First car radio, the 

FM car radio 

Car cassette player 

Autosuper 5 (AS 5) 

5A649, the first 

post-war car radio, 

with two frequency 

ranges 

“Köln,” “Bremen,” 

“Hamburg,” and 

“Berlin” car radios 

with transistor 

technology 

“Westerland” 

combined car radio 

and portable travel 

radio


A different station 

perhaps? Blaupunkt 

car radios were 

available with front 

panels to match 

every common car 

model (1968). 

short, allowed drivers to use an electronic 

map to find their way. All drivers had to 

do was enter the coordinates for start and 

finish, and a sonorous voice told them 

which turning to take in order to arrive 

directly at their destination. Wheel speed 

sensors recorded the routes taken and any 

changes in direction, and compared the 

vehicle’s movements with the selected 

route. 

The development still had to overcome a 

number of obstacles, but thanks to the new 

compact disc (CD) storage medium, which 

was able to store the quantity of data 

needed for all the roads in Germany, and 

to the satellite-assisted positioning system 

introduced in the mid-1990s, Blaupunkt 

was able to introduce its TravelPilot in 

1995. As a result, drivers no longer needed 

to keep a traditional road atlas in their cars. 

The integrated voice output function meant 

that it was not necessary for drivers to 

glance at the display. They could keep their 

eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead. The 

TravelPilot, which cost more than 4,000 

German marks back then, paved the way for 

the navigation systems that are to be found 

in such large numbers today. 

1969 1974 1976 1979 1982 1985 

“Frankfurt” 

ARI traffic news 

EVA electronic pilot CD player 

stereo radio 

decoder 

for drivers 

Car radio with 

integrated ARI 

traffic news 

decoder 

Quartz tuning 

system, PLL 

synthesizer tuner


Top: 

Introduced in 1989, 

TravelPilot IDS made 

precise route planning 

possible. It was not until 

speech output appeared, 

in the TravelPilot RG 05 

(1995), that navigation 

systems became successful: 

while being guided to 

their destination, drivers 

could devote their full 

attention to the road 

ahead. 

From the end of the 1980s on, technical 

developments for car radios were chiefly 

concerned with improving ease of use. 

Examples include the RDS radio data 

system to identify radio stations, the TIM 

traffic information memory to save and call 

up traffic information, and theft-deterrence 

features such as removable front panels 

and coded keycards. The 1990s saw further 

innovations in driver information and communication. 

The radiophone, for example, 

combined the functions of a normal car 

radio with those of a cellphone. And thanks 

to the new DAB digital audio broadcasting 

reception technology launched in 2002, 

the digital car radio ensures that reception 

is always crystal-clear. 

Intelligent networking for greater safety 

and lower fuel consumption 

Today, Bosch Car Multimedia develops 

solutions that integrate entertainment, 

navigation, and driver assistance functions 

for OEM business relating to both private 

vehicles and company fleets. The components 

are, as a rule, designed and produced 

for specific models in close cooperation 

with the automaker. One new development 

in this respect is the increased networking 

of navigation with other automotive functions 

that make driving safer and help 

reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. 

For example, the navigation system 

can be used as a sensor, with on-board 

1986 1987 1988 1989 1992 1995 

Key code for theft 

deterrence 

Dolby C noise 

suppression, 

removable front 

panel 

RDS radio data 

system 

TravelPilot IDS, first 

vehicle navigation 

system in Europe 

TIM traffic information 

memory 

TravelPilot RGS05, 

navigation system 

with GPS control, 

route guidance, and 

speech output


Left: 

Today’s Bosch infotainment systems can 

be used by carmakers worldwide. The 

system architecture can be adapted 

flexibly to the technical conditions and 

cultural features of the relevant country 

(2010). 

digital maps informing drivers in good time 

of dangerous stretches of road ahead, such 

as sharp bends. 

However, navigation can also help reduce 

fuel consumption and emissions by choosing 

the most economical route (the “eco 

route” function). This function doesn’t just 

calculate the shortest route, but also takes 

other consumption-related parameters into 

account, such as avoiding frequent braking 

and acceleration, and traffic conditions that 

ensure a smooth run without traffic jams. 

In-car music and information 


In Stuttgart, one year before the acquisition of Ideal-Werke (subsequently 

known as Blaupunkt) by Bosch in 1933, engineers from both companies 

designed Europe’s first series-manufactured car radio. 


For the princely sum of 365 reichsmarks, “Autosuper 5,” the first car radio, 

brought music into the car. Unlike radios for the home, however, it had to 

be rendered compatible with the car – by means of vibration-resistant radio 

tubes, for example. It was not until the 1950s that car radios became an 

affordable mass product. Tracking developments in home entertainment 

technology, Bosch introduced further innovations for automakers. Until 

2008, these were still available in trade outlets under the Blaupunkt brand. 

Examples include transistor and stereo radios, cassette, CD, and MP3 players, 

and special functions such as traffic news recognition and units with a 

telephone or navigation system. 

First use 

The AS 5 could be installed in cars, aircraft, or motorboats. The entire 

number of AS 5 radios produced is estimated at just 400, making it a luxury 

article, five of which cost as much as a small car. 


Bosch Car Multimedia develops solutions that integrate entertainment, 

navigation, and driver assistance functions for OEM business. The components 

are, as a rule, engineered for new models in close cooperation with 

the automaker. 

1997 2000 2002 2003 2005 2008 

Radiophone, a 

combined car radio 

and GSM cellphone 

Dallas RDM 169 car 

radio with mini-disc 

drive 

TravelPilot navigation 

system with online 

connection 

Woodstock DAB53 

digital car radio with 

MP3 drive and digital 

recorder 

First radio navigation 

system with map 

zoom function and 

color display 

First mobile navigation 

system with integrated 

camera for video navigation 

and recognition of 

speed-limit signs


“Safe, clean, 

economical” 

as a development 

goal 

When it introduced the lambda 

sensor in 1976, Bosch set an 

important milestone in emissions 

reduction. In conjunction with a 

regulated three-way catalytic 

converter, it cut emissions by 

some 90 percent.



Safe, clean, economical 

The Bosch 3S program 

It was one year after the first oil crisis of 1973 that Bosch introduced the 

“3S” program (from the German words for safe, clean, and economical) to the 

public. This simple formula encapsulated the corporate philosophy pursued 

at Bosch for decades, a philosophy which still applies today: to protect people, 

to make vehicles economical, and to lower emissions. 

Bosch has been testing brake and chassis 

systems near Arjeplog in northern Sweden 

since the 1970s. Here, the ABS and the 

traction control system (TCS), which was 

about to enter series production at the 

time, are being put through their paces in 

a bus and a truck (1986). 

Safe 

“Safe” relates to active and passive safety 

in vehicles. Examples include the ABS 

antilock braking system (1978) and triggering 

units for airbags (1980). Bosch set new 

standards in safety in 1995 with its ESP® 

electronic stability program. Research 

results showing the significant drop in 

the number of serious accidents involving 

vehicles with ESP® have justified the huge 

research and development spend on 

safety systems at Bosch. Systems such 

as ABS or ESP® are, or soon will be, standard 

equipment in nearly all new cars in 

Europe. Examples of the latest developments 

in the area of safety and comfort 

include Night Vision systems, the parking 

assistant, roll-over sensors, seat-occupancy


recognition for triggering airbags, and precrash 

sensors. Pre-crash sensors tighten 

the seat belt when the brakes are applied 

sharply and there is a risk of impact, and 

prepare for the airbags to be triggered. The 

automatic emergency brake mitigates the 

effects of accidents, while the ACC adaptive 

cruise control distance radar maintains a 

safe distance from the vehicle in front. 

Clean 

The “clean” part of the 3S program relates 

to the company’s commitment to 

reduce pollutant emissions. In 1967, Bosch 

launched a product that marked one of 

its first milestones in its commitment 

to “clean” cars. Thanks to the Jetronic 

electronic gasoline injection system, the 

Volkswagen 1600 E fulfilled the strict 

The test bay at the 

Automotive Engineering 

Center for gasoline 

injection in Schwieberdingen 

near Stuttgart 

(1986). Here, engine 

management systems 

that are ready for series 

production are tested 

under the tough conditions 

they will encounter 

in practice.


emission regulations set by the California 

state government. This was the beginning 

of the successful application of electronic 

management systems for diesel and gasoline 

engines, which easily complied with 

all statutory regulations. 

It was above all with the lambda sensor, 

which was produced from 1976 onwards, 

that Bosch responded to the aim of lowering 

emissions. This sensor, which is about 

the size of a finger, played a vital role in this 

respect. The lambda sensor made it possible 

to use a three-way catalytic converter, 

which cuts pollutant emissions from a 

gasoline engine by up to 90 percent. 

Nowadays, nearly every gasoline-driven 

passenger car in the world has a lambda 

sensor, most of them made by Bosch. 

Even in today’s diesel engines, the lambda 

sensor is effective in reducing emissions. 

This is another area where Bosch is a 

pioneer in environmental protection. 

Economical 

The third pillar of the 3S program is reducing 

fuel consumption. Even a good 20 years 

before the program was inaugurated, Bosch 

was setting standards with gasoline injection 

systems in small cars that reduced consumption 

by up to 20 percent. However, 

the initial systems were still expensive and 

gasoline was cheap, making it difficult to 

Left: 

Safer or cleaner? In 

1950, the focus was 

more on the safety 

risk of poor visibility 

than on emissions. 

Bosch recommended 

that diesel injection 

pumps be serviced 

regularly. 

Right: 

Driver assistance 

systems can help 

drivers pace their 

driving more evenly 

and thus lower fuel 

consumption. They 

can also help prevent 

accidents, as is the 

case with the video 

sensor technology 

that is being tested 

here. It helps drivers 

to recognize traffic 

signs (2000). 

Milestones 

1976 1978 1979 1980 1986 1995 

Lambda sensor ABS antilock 

Airbag control 


Motronic electronic 

engine management 

system 

TCS traction control ESP® electronic 

system 

stability program 

EDC electronic diesel 

control


establish the systems in the market. From 

the 1960s onwards, however, against the 

backdrop of fluctuating oil prices and fuel 

consumption regulations, the concepts 

developed by Bosch began to bear fruit. 

Bosch was especially successful with gasoline 

injection systems that allowed fuel to 

be metered precisely. From 1967, these 

systems were also controlled electronically. 

When Motronic – a combination of an ignition 

system and an injection system – was 

introduced in 1979, these functions were 

combined in an engine management system. 

These systems constantly monitor numerous 

parameters ranging from engine temperature 

to fuel quality, and meter the gasoline 

to match the needs of the engine. 

In the 1990s in particular, Bosch launched 

a number of innovative systems for diesel 

engines. It was the common-rail system that 

really made a mark. It saves on fuel thanks 

to multiple-injection technology and to high 

injection pressures of up to 2,000 bar and 

more, which atomize the fuel and ensure 

effective combustion. In addition to lowering 

pollutant emissions and helping diesel 

engines to operate to their full potential, 

this also saves fuel and thus has a direct 

impact on the amount of carbon dioxide 

emitted. 

Safe, clean, economical 


The program was launched in November 1974. Bosch pooled its expertise 

to make cars safer, more eco-friendly, and more economical. Even before 

that time, Bosch had offered products that reduced consumption, provided 

protection against and during accidents, and lowered emissions. The 

3S program brought these efforts together under a single slogan. 


More stringent exhaust regulations, heavier traffic, increasing numbers of 

accidents, and the rise in fuel prices forced automobile manufacturers to 

act. Bosch was able to preempt many requirements, as demonstrated by a 

number of examples. Jetronic and the lambda sensor for gasoline engines, 

for instance, made it possible to comply with very stringent exhaust regulations 

from an early stage, while high-pressure diesel systems such as common 

rail lowered consumption and CO 2 emissions. New engine management 

systems such as the start-stop system launched in 2007 also help cut consumption 

and emissions by stopping the engine at a red light, for example. 


The 3S program has lost none of its relevance. Launching new products that 

optimize consumption, emissions, and safety is a recurring theme throughout 

the history of Bosch, and will continue to shape the company’s future: piezo 

injectors, exhaust-gas treatment, and forward-looking technologies such as 

hybrid and electric drives are just a few examples of how Bosch technology 

will make automobiles safe, clean, and economical in the future. The 3S 

program now has a further objective, that of making driving “comfortable” 

with driver assistance systems that facilitate everyday journeys on the roads. 

The product portfolio ranges from the parking assistant to the distance radar. 

1997 2000 2005 2007 2010 

Common-rail diesel 

Night Vision driver Start-stop system 

injection system 

assistance system 

ACC adaptive cruise 

control (radar-based 

distance and speed 

control system) 

Hybrid system for 

passenger cars


What’s what? 

ABS 

(see antilock braking system) 

ACC 

(see adaptive cruise control) 

Adaptive cruise control 

(ACC) 

Adaptive speed control. Series production from 2000. ACC is a driver assistance system based on a 

cruise control which enables a desired speed to be set. ACC brakes and accelerates a vehicle depending 

on traffic flow. To be able to do this, it uses a radar sensor to monitor the area in front of the vehicle. 

If the system detects a slow vehicle ahead, it reduces the speed of its “own” vehicle until a defined safe 

distance to the vehicle ahead has been achieved. Once the lane is clear again, ACC accelerates the vehicle 

to the pre-set speed. 

ALI 

(see driver guidance and information system) 

Antilock braking system 

(ABS) 

Series production from 1978. ABS ensures that wheels do not lock up during braking, and that control is 

maintained over the vehicle. Wheel sensors monitor the incipient locking of the wheels and transmit this 

information to an electronic control unit. As soon as there is a risk that a wheel will lock, this control 

unit initiates a reduction of the braking force on the wheel within milliseconds by lowering the braking 

pressure. Once the incipient lock has passed, the full braking force becomes available again. This process 

can take place up to 50 times per second. 

Antilocking 

(see antilock braking system) 

ARI 

(see traffic news decoder) 

ASR 

(see traction control system) 

Battery ignition 

Series production from 1925. Battery ignition systems took the place of magneto ignition systems, which 

were very effective but relatively expensive. While magneto ignition is powered by the engine, battery 

ignition needs a current produced by a battery. This is used to generate an ignition spark. The battery is 

charged by the generator (alternator), which produces dynamo-electric power with the help of the movement 

of the engine (turning of the crankshaft). 

Bosch-Dewandre 

servo brake 

(see servo brake) 

Bosch automotive System comprising headlights, a generator, a regulator, and a battery. Series production from 1913. 

lighting system 

First complete electrical system from Bosch. The Bosch automotive lighting system replaced carbide and 

acetyl lighting, which involved a laborious kindling procedure and required a lot of maintenance. With 

the Bosch automotive lighting system, the electricity for the headlights (protected from overvoltage by 

the regulator) is supplied by the battery, which receives the current from the dynamo-electric generator. 

Brake support 


CAN 

(see controller area network) 

Capacitor 

Current storage device comprising two separate electrodes. Series production from 1930. Mainly used 

in car ignition units, where it produces large amounts of current quickly. Also used in radios, TVs, and 

coolers. 


(CR, CRS) 

Diesel direct injection. This innovative system was brought to market by Bosch in 1997. The diesel fuel 

is subjected to high pressure in a cylindrical pipe (rail). The rail is connected to the injection valves, 

through which the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber at high pressure (up to 2,000 bar). 

Thanks to a constant level of high pressure, the common-rail system lowers consumption. A constant 

supply of fuel in the rail facilitates multiple injections, allowing the engine to run more smoothly. 

Combined generator, 

starter, and ignition unit 

Triple unit comprising a generator (alternator), a starter, and a battery ignition system. Series production 

from 1932. Mainly used in vans that needed all three electrical functions at low cost. Hardly any motorcycles 

had an electric starter in those days.


Controller area network 

(CAN) 

Series production from 1991. Concept for the transfer of data in vehicles with complex equipment and 

a large number of interlinked electronic components (e. g. ABS, Motronic, ACC, pre-crash sensors, airbag 

control, air conditioning control, electronic transmission control). Instead of individually allocated data 

lines, which would make a traditional cable harness much too large and complicated, transfer of the 

data for the different components takes place via a data bus system to which all the components are 

connected. The content and priority of each message is indicated by an “identifier” assigned to it. Each 

station stores the messages that can be received. This ensures reliable sending of messages. 

CR 

(see common-rail system) 

CRS 

(see common-rail system) 

D-Jetronic 

First electronic gasoline-injection system to be made by Bosch. Series production from 1967. The “D” 

stands for the German word for pressure control (Drucksteuerung), as the amount of fuel injected is 

determined by the pressure in the intake manifold. In addition, the electronic control unit varies the 

amount of fuel injected on the basis of engine-related parameters (engine temperature, engine speed, 

load alternations, full throttle, etc.). This optimizes power output per unit of engine displacement, fuel 

consumption, emissions, torque, and warm-up behavior. D-Jetronic is maintenance-free. The tuning work 

carried out on traditional carburetors is no longer necessary. D-Jetronic was succeeded by L-Jetronic. 

Dewandre servo brake 


DI-Motronic Series production from 2000. Various forerunners were series-produced for passenger cars from 1951 

(two-stroke engines) and 1954 (four-stroke engines). Unlike the more common indirect injection (manifold 

injection, D-Jetronic, K-Jetronic, KE-Jetronic, L-Jetronic, LH-Jetronic), the air-fuel mixture is not prepared 

in advance and then drawn into the cylinder. Instead, fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber 

via a nozzle. Fuel consumption can be reduced by as much as 10 percent. With DI-Motronic, fuel can be 

burned on a stratified charge basis in the case of part loads. A relatively small amount of air-fuel mixture 

is kept near the spark plug, and this vapor is surrounded by air and other gases, with the result that 

consumption drops considerably. Only when high power is needed, e. g. during full acceleration, is a 

homogeneous mixture burned, which takes up the entire combustion chamber. This delivers the high level 

of power desired. DI-Motronic is supplied exclusively in Motronic configuration, i. e. as a common control 

unit for injection and ignition. 

Double-T armature 

Core component of the magneto produced by Bosch from 1887 on (for motor vehicles from 1897 on). 

It induces current by means of oscillating or rotating motions, and the current produces the ignition spark 

for fuel combustion. Since 1919, an image of this double-T armature sketched in 1918 has been registered 

as the company’s symbol. It has been used worldwide since 1920. 

Driver guidance and 

information system 

(ALI) 

Introduced on a test basis in 1978 but not manufactured in series production. Induction loops inserted 

in the surface of the road measured traffic density and passed on the data to central computers. 

Vehicles with ALI receivers were informed of increases in traffic density (risk of traffic jams) and supplied 

with alternative routes. No nationwide network due to the high costs of construction work the 

system would have entailed. Traffic density information and warnings of traffic jams are now two of the 

parameters used by modern navigation systems (TravelPilot) to calculate routes. 

Dynamo-battery 

ignition unit 

Combination of generator (alternator) and battery ignition system. Series production from 1926. Unlike 

self-sufficient magneto ignition, which did not need any external current, battery ignition was not available 

until systems were introduced in series production that were suitable for charging car batteries in everyday 

use (current-regulating generators, see also generator). The dynamo-electric generation of current by 

the alternator component also serves to generate the current required for ignition. 

EDC 

(see electronic diesel control) 

ETC 

(see electronic throttle control) 

EHB 

(see electrohydraulic brake)


Electrohydraulic brake 

(EHB) 

Electrohydraulic braking system. Series production from 2001. EHB involves the electronic transmission 

of the pedal force to the hydraulic braking system (brake-by-wire). Sensors register the force used to 

actuate the brakes and calculate the necessary braking pressure for each individual wheel. The electronic 

control system makes it possible to include information from chassis systems such as ABS or ESP®. The 

integrated “Brake Assist” interprets rapid actuation of the brake pedal as the start of emergency braking 

and automatically increases braking pressure to the maximum. The name “Sensotronic Brake Control” is a 

registered trademark of Daimler AG. 

Electronic diesel control 

(EDC) 

Series production from 1986. Electronic diesel control regulates the injection action of a diesel engine 

on the basis of the position of the accelerator, engine temperature, air, water, and fuel temperature, 

charge-air pressure, atmospheric pressure, etc. This data is used to calculate and set the amount of fuel 

injected, the timing of injection, and other factors for optimizing consumption, engine power, and noise 

(e. g. advanced injection), all within a few thousandths of a second. 

Electronic throttle control 

(ETC) 

Series production from 1995. Component of Motronic engine management system. The position of the 

accelerator is detected electronically by a pedal-travel sensor. ETC, the “electronic gas pedal,” allows 

idle-speed control, reduction of engine output for TCS, and cruise control. 

Electronic pilot for drivers 

(EVA) 

Tested from 1982 on. First experimental system for independent navigation using an electronic map, 

entry of destination, and route guidance with speech output. EVA was not ready for series production, 

as it would have been necessary to create digital data for large areas, which would have been too expensive. 

Also, high-volume, high-performance storage media were not available until later. After entering 

the start and destination, the route was calculated. The system recorded the vehicle’s movements 

(speed and change of direction) via sensors on the wheels. By comparing the route calculated by the 

system with the movement of the vehicle, it was also possible to update the data in response to driving 

errors. The fundamental principle of EVA is the basis for all navigation systems used today. 

Electronic stability 

program (ESP®) 

Series production from 1995. Originally known as “vehicle dynamics control” (VDC), ESP® prevents 

dangerous skidding. Its sensors register potential loss of control over the vehicle in critical situations. 

As far as the laws of physics will allow, ESP® recovers the stability of the vehicle by intervening in the 

brake control or engine management system – if necessary, for each wheel separately. 

ESP® 

(see electronic stability program) 

EVA 

(see electronic pilot for drivers) 

Gasoline direct injection 

(GDI) 

(see DI-Motronic) 

GDI 

(see DI-Motronic) 

Generator (alternator) 

Generates current in a vehicle. Series production from 1913. Generators were launched onto the market 

as the current-generating component of the Bosch automotive lighting system. Driven by the engine, 

dynamo-electric processes generate the current. The generator converts mechanical energy into electrical 

power. The electrical current is stored in the battery and transmitted to the electrical consumers (ignition, 

lighting, etc.) as required. Generators are generally designed to maintain an even charge balance, so that 

they supply as precisely as possible the amount of energy used. While (direct-current) generators were 

used in the early years, (three-phase-current) alternators have become more common since the 1960s due 

to their higher efficiency and smaller size. Today’s alternator generation can cover an output range of up 

to 3.8 kilowatts. The reason for this is the constant rise in the number of electrical consumers. In 1915, 

only lighting and ignition needed electrical power. Nowadays, passenger cars have as many as 140 smallpower 

motors that require electrical current (sliding roof panel, power seats, air conditioning regulation, 

power windows, etc.). 

Glow plug, sheathedelement 

glow plug 

Series production from 1922. Metal plug with spiral-type filament. Glow plugs are fitted in diesel engines. 

The glowing of the filament allows the diesel-air mixture to ignite during a cold start. While the preheating 

time for starting a cold diesel engine was in the region of 30 seconds in 1975, nowadays it is less than one 

second.


Halogen lights 

Series production from 1966 (H1) and 1971 (H4 two-filament bulb). As with the forerunner doublefilament 

lamps, light is produced using a glowing tungsten wire. However, in halogen lights the glass bulb 

of the light bulb is filled with a halogen (iodine or bromine). This allows the filament to reach a temperature 

close to the melting point of the tungsten wire, thus producing greater light efficiency and increasing 

the service life of the light. 

High-voltage magneto 

ignition system 

Series production from 1902. Unlike the previous model, the low-voltage magneto device, the coils in 

the high-voltage magneto ignition system produce high-voltage current that is conducted to the spark 

plug via cables. This current generates an electric arc between the electrodes of the spark plug, which 

ignites the air-fuel mixture. The high-voltage magneto ignition system made the universal use of magneto 

ignition in vehicles possible. Unlike low-voltage magneto ignition with its delicate break-spark rodding 

prone to breakdown, high-voltage magneto ignition systems could be easily installed in any engine. 

High-voltage magneto ignition is thus one of the most significant technical steps in the progress of 

Bosch ignition systems, and helped the company to develop into a major automotive supplier. 

Jetronic 

(see D-Jetronic) 

K-Jetronic Further development of the mechanical manifold injection system (1958). Series production from 1973. 

K-Jetronic is a cost-effective, mechanical driveless system. Unlike traditional systems with injection pumps, 

fuel is continuously injected through metering slots into the induction tract, upstream of the intake valve, 

in accordance with the volume of induced air. It was succeeded by KE-Jetronic. 

KE-Jetronic 

Further development of K-Jetronic. Presented in 1981, series production from 1983. KE-Jetronic enables 

greater flexibility by incorporating an electronic control unit (e. g. lambda closed-loop control for three-way 

catalytic converter). 

Lambda sensor 

Metal-ceramic device the size of a finger. Series production from 1976. Lambda sensors are the prerequisite 

for exhaust treatment using three-way catalytic converters. Lambda sensors determine the 

amount of oxygen in exhaust fumes upstream of the catalytic converter. On the basis of the values 

measured, the electronic injection control changes the composition of the air-fuel mixture to obtain a 

lambda value of 1 (14.66 kg of air to 1 kg of fuel). Only with a value of 1 or a value as close as possible 

to 1 is complete combustion of the mixture ensured, enabling optimum emission treatment by the 

catalytic converter. 

L-Jetronic 

Electronic system with intermittent injection. Series production from 1973. L-Jetronic is based on 

D-Jetronic (rather than on the mechanical K-Jetronic system with its continuous injection). Unlike 

D-Jetronic, however, fuel metering is not determined by the pressure in the intake manifold, but by the 

volume of air drawn in, which is measured by an air-mass meter. It is considerably more reliable than 

D-Jetronic due to the use of integrated circuits, which allowed the number of parts to be reduced from 

220 to 80. Injection is controlled electronically in accordance with the parameters registered by sensors, 

such as engine temperature or load status (e. g. full throttle, part-load, or reduced throttle). Changes in 

the engine (wear, deposits in the valves) are detected and taken into account by the electronic control 

unit. Successor systems: LE-Jetronic and LH-Jetronic. 

LH-Jetronic 

Further development of L-Jetronic. Series production from 1981. Air-mass meters measure the amount 

of fuel needed (unlike the L-Jetronic, which measures the volume of air drawn in). This means that air 

temperature and air density can also be taken into account, thus allowing optimum injection. 

Litronic (abbreviation 

for Light Electronic) 

Gaseous-discharge lamp for headlights. Series production from 1991. Litronic works by creating a voltage 

between two electrodes in a glass bulb filled with xenon gas. The gas atoms excited by the voltage release 

energy in the form of light. Litronic generates considerably more light than halogen lights, but with lower 

energy consumption. The light has a high color temperature similar to sunlight, but with larger portions 

of blue and green. Litronic is more suited to modern vehicles than halogen light, as the system produces 

a lot of light even when the front surface of the glass in the headlight is small. The service life of the light 

is normally long enough for the total service life of a car.


Low-voltage magneto 

ignition device 

Ignition device for internal-combustion engines. Built by Bosch (for stationary engines) for the first time 

in 1887. Tested in vehicles from 1897. Series production from 1898. Magneto ignition is based on the 

principle of a double-T armature – around which a wire coil is wound – moving in a magnetic field to 

generate a current. The movement (and thus generation of a current) is dependent on engine speed, 

and is independent of any external source of current such as a battery. This allows an ignition current 

to be generated to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder at the right time (depending on engine speed). 

Low-voltage magneto ignition (initially called ignition with break-spark rodding and later referred to as 

touch-spark ignition) produced the spark by suddenly separating two contacts in a closed circuit. These 

contacts were positioned within the combustion chamber, with the result that the break spark ignited 

the air-fuel mixture. Low-voltage magneto ignition dominated the market for ignition systems until around 

1910, after which time it was gradually replaced by high-voltage magneto ignition. 

Lubricating pump (oiler) 

Device to lubricate moving parts in engines. Series production from 1909. Initially, licenses were acquired 

to produce lubricating pumps. Later these were further developed for use in all vehicle engines ranging 

from those in motorcycles to commercial vehicles, including ship and aircraft engines. The principle of 

evenly metered and precise distribution of fluids under high pressure later proved to be a practical basic 

technology for the development of diesel and gasoline injection pumps. Production was discontinued 

in 1959. 

Magneto-generator Combination of generator (alternator) and magneto ignition system. Series production from 1921. 

ignition unit 

The current generated is used for ignition and to supply the remaining on-board electrics. Installed 

in cars and – from the 1930s – in motorcycles. 

Magneto ignition 

Ignition device for internal-combustion engines. Bosch built its first magneto device – for stationary 

engines – in 1887. It was tested in vehicles from 1897. Series production from 1898. Magneto ignition is 

based on the principle of a double-T armature – around which a wire coil is wound – moving in a magnetic 

field to generate a current. The movement is dependent on the rotational speed of the engine. This allows 

an ignition current to be generated to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder at the right time (depending 

on engine speed). Low-voltage magneto ignition (also called ignition with break-spark rodding or 

touch-spark ignition), the more common approach to ignition up until 1910, produced the spark by suddenly 

separating two contacts within a closed circuit. In the case of high-voltage magneto ignition systems 

(also known as electric arc magneto ignition systems), developed in 1902, the vital spark was produced 

by the arc of a current, i. e. by a luminous electrical discharge between the electrodes of a spark plug 

within the combustion chamber. High-voltage magneto ignition systems carried the day because the 

break-spark rodding in low-voltage magneto ignition required a great deal of maintenance and repair work, 

leading to complaints. It was also very difficult to install. 

Mono-Jetronic, 

Electronically controlled centralized injection system arranged as a combined engine management system 

Mono-Motronic for ignition and injection, for special use in three- and four-cylinder engines. Series production from 1983. 

The technology of Mono-Jetronic is based on D-Jetronic, while Mono-Motronic is based on Motronic. 

However, both systems comprise a single unit from which the fuel is injected above the throttle valve, 

instead of in front of the intake valve of each cylinder – as is customary for all other Jetronic and Motronic 

versions. Mono-Jetronic and Mono-Motronic are compact and competitively priced, and are therefore 

mostly used for small, inexpensive passenger cars. 

Motronic 

Combined engine management system comprising gasoline injection and ignition. Series production 

from 1979. Motronic is based on a combination of L-Jetronic technology and electronically controlled 

transistorized ignition. Both functions are combined in a single control unit in order to ensure optimum 

engine management that takes account of all important parameters (engine temperature, load, engine 

speed, and changes in the engine, such as wear). This ensures minimum consumption and low emissions 

together with the best possible performance. Motronic is maintenance-free and designed to last for the 

entire service life of a vehicle. The only parts in the entire engine management system that are subject 

to wear are the spark plugs.


SBC 

(see electrohydraulic brake) 

Sensotronic Brake Control 

SBC (see electrohydraulic brake) 

Servo brake (powerassisted 

braking system) 

Series production from 1927. Initially produced for trucks by Bosch under a license from the Belgian 

developer Dewandre. Later improved by Bosch and replaced with its own inventions. The servo brake 

works pneumatically. The vacuum generated in the induction tract of the engine when the driver releases 

the accelerator is used to increase braking force, so that the driver achieves a greater braking effect with 

the same braking pressure. These improvements were necessary in order to keep pace with increased 

engine performance and vehicle speeds, for which the power of mechanical brakes alone was no longer 

sufficient. In 1928, the smaller “brake support” for passenger cars was launched. Since the 1950s, 

pneumatic servo brakes have been gradually replaced by hydraulic servo brakes, which are now standard 

for passenger cars. Pneumatic systems are still used in trucks, though. Since the 1970s, hydraulic servo 

brakes have been supplemented by pneumatic brake boosters. Bosch know-how in this product area was 

extremely useful in the pioneering development of ABS, ESP®, and EHB. 

Spark plug 

Ceramic device with at least two electrodes. Series production from 1902. The spark plug was produced 

as an additional component for the high-voltage magneto ignition developed and launched by Bosch in 

1902. The plug is screwed into the cylinder head so that the electrodes protrude into the combustion 

chamber. The high voltage induced by the magneto ignition or by the ignition coil creates an electric arc, 

i. e. a luminous electrical discharge from the outer electrode to the middle electrode, which ignites the 

air-fuel mixture. To date, Bosch has developed and produced approximately 20,000 different types of 

spark plugs for all kinds of applications, ranging from model planes to emergency power units. 

Starter-generator 

Combination of generator (alternator) and starter. Series production from 1933. Used for motorcycles 

and small cars. The advantage over separate components is its reduced size. 

Starter ignition 

Combination of starter and magneto ignition. Series production from 1932. Both functions are combined 

in order to reduce the size. Used for motorcycles and microcars. 

Traction control system 

(TCS) 

Series production from 1986. Traction control prevents the driven wheels from spinning. The electronic 

control unit reduces the speed of the wheels until they recover their grip. The system is an extension of 

ABS, and is generally combined with it in a single unit. Traction control is an early example of networking 

diverse electronic control units. When traction control is activated, it intervenes in the engine management 

or brake control system. Despite actuation of the accelerator, engine power is thus continuously lowered, 

or the brake is actuated, until the wheels recover their grip. Traction control can also brake one drive 

wheel individually in order to divert engine power to the other wheel if the latter offers better traction. 

Traffic news decoder 

(ARI) 

Series production from 1974. Traffic news was first broadcast in 1969. An ARI decoder (available 

separately from 1974, integrated in various car radio models from 1976) locates stations with traffic news 

so that the driver can always preset the stations that regularly broadcast traffic news. 

Transistorized ignition 

(TSZ, TSZ-i) 

Series production from 1964. The breaker-triggered transistorized ignition (TI) contains electronic 

elements called transistors. These ensure greater efficiency and a longer service life than mechanical 

breakers. Since its further development to a breakerless transistorized ignition with an electronic ignition 

impulse sensor instead of an ignition contact (TI-i, series production from 1974), transistorized ignition 

has been a completely maintenance-free system. It is no longer necessary to replace those parts that 

used to be subject to wear, such as the mechanical contacts. The precision of transistorized ignition also 

enables it to be integrated in electronic engine management systems (Motronic). Today’s emission and 

consumption limits would not be possible without TI and its successors.


TravelPilot 

Navigation system for vehicles comprising destination entry, route guidance, and speech output. 

Series production from 1995. The latest dynamic systems can also take into account the current traffic 

situation, e. g. traffic jams, or calculate the route with the lowest fuel consumption. Forerunner technologies 

included the experimental “electronic pilot for drivers” (EVA) and TravelPilot IDS. However, the 

latter did not include satellite-based navigation or voice output. 

TSZ, TSZ-i 

(see transistorized ignition) 

Unit injector system 

(UIS) 

Diesel injection system. In series production for passenger cars from 1998 to 2008. Unit injector systems 

combine a high-pressure pump and a nozzle in a single unit (one pump-nozzle unit per cylinder). This 

contrasts with traditional systems with a distributor or in-line injection pump, which transfer the fuel to 

the injection nozzles on the engine via a line. UIS allows maximum pressures of up to 2,050 bar, which 

are transferred one-to-one from the pump components to the nozzle that forms part of the unit. As far 

as design is concerned, this means that no space is needed for a pump or a rail system (as is the case 

with common-rail technology). However, the cylinder head needs to have an appropriate design, as the 

UIS elements on the head require more space than injection valves. The VW Group used the system in VW, 

Audi, Skoda, and Seat automobiles. “Pumpe-Düse” was the term used by the VW Group. 

Vehicle dynamics control 

(VDC) 

(see electronic stability program ESP®) 

VDC 

(see electronic stability program ESP®)


More often than 

not, there are Bosch 

parts under the hood: 

in 1928, more than 

80 percent of all newly 

launched cars and 

trucks in Germany 

were equipped with a 

Bosch ignition system. 

Author 

Dietrich Kuhlgatz (C/CCH) 

Picture credits 

All rights reserved by Robert Bosch GmbH, 

with the exception of: 

3 Audi AG: page 36, bottom left 

3 BMW AG: page 19, bottom right; page 49 

3 Citroën Deutschland AG: page 43, bottom right 

3 Daimler AG: page 8; page 34, bottom left; page 41 

3 Fiat Automobil AG: page 36, bottom right 

3 Peugeot Deutschland GmbH: page 34, bottom right 

3 Volkswagen AG: page 35; page 43, bottom left

Published by: 

Robert Bosch GmbH 

Historical Communications 

(C/CCH) 

Postfach 30 02 20 

D-70442 Stuttgart 

Phone +49 711 811-44156 

Fax +49 711 811-44504 

Director: 

Dr. Kathrin Fastnacht 

Website: 

history.bosch.com 

Additional copies of this journal 

can be ordered from: 

bosch@infoscan-sinsheim.de

Bosch Automotive A product history

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